A report earlier this month stated that Darren Waller was committed to playing in 2024. The Giants tight end has not made a firm decision, however. He confirmed that when speaking publicly about his situation.
Waller's debut Giants campaign was cut short due to his latest hamstring issues. He is still under contract for three years, although none of his salary is guaranteed over that span. Even if he were to hang up his cleats, though, the 31-year-old’s career would prove to have been lucrative, as he has more than $42M in total earnings.
“I’m undecided at the moment,” Waller told Dan Duggan of The Athletic (subscription required). “It’s really the idea of signing up for another journey. It’s tough, it’s long, it requires a lot. And if you’re not fully bought into every single thing of the process, it’s going to be tough. I feel like at the end of the day, you’re doing guys a disservice if you’re not all the way in.”
The former sixth-rounder topped 1,100 yards in consecutive seasons with the Raiders, demonstrating his ability as one of the league’s most dynamic tight ends when healthy. Since then, Waller has been limited to 32 games in three years, which factored heavily into his trade from Vegas to New York. In 12 games with the Giants, he posted 552 yards and one touchdown on 52 catches.
Waller noted he has no firm timeline for his decision, adding the Giants have yet to impose one. Still, the team would no doubt prefer clarity with free agency and the draft on the horizon. Replacing the Georgia Tech product would become a key priority for a team already needing pass-catching additions if necessary. Health and finances go into Waller’s thought process, but he noted that his ultimate decision will come down to “deeper” reasons.
“I’m not just coming back to collect an extra check because that’s not what I’m trying to do or who I’m trying to be,” he added. “At this point in my life, I’m blessed to be able to be more than OK financially. Plus, if the only reason I’m doing something is because of an amount of money, I know that’s not a decision I need to be making.”
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