Raiders, TE Darren Waller discussing record-setting extension?

With Waller expected to add Drew Rosenhaus as his agent this week, the matter of his below-market contract will come up. The Pro Bowl pass catcher has already discussed a lucrative deal with the Raiders, however, with CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson noting (via Twitter) a contract that would make Waller the league’s highest-paid tight end has come up.

The deal would be in the $16M-per-year range, per Anderson, though specifics remain light. And Waller’s agency change does not seem to indicate anything was close.

Las Vegas has changed regimes, but the Dave Ziegler–Josh McDaniels pairing has taken care of Derek Carr and Hunter Renfrow this offseason. The team also traded for Davante Adams and extended him at $28M per year. Renfrow is also tied to a deal worth more than double Waller’s $7.6M-per-year figure. It is unsurprising the accomplished tight end may be trying to force the issue, given his age (30 in September), importance to recent Raider teams and the contracts the new team brass has handed out.

Waller’s contract ranks 17th among tight ends for AAV, with the likes of Will Dissly and C.J. Uzomah moving past him this offseason. Waller is one of a handful of tight ends in NFL history to post two 1,100-yard seasons. However, he is coming off a year in which an ankle injury sidelined him for much of the Raiders’ stretch run.

For now, Waller is attempting to move past a hamstring injury that has forced him to miss time during training camp. All parties have pointed to that as a minor ailment, per The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. This three-week absence emerging as the contract matter unfolds may or may not be a coincidence. For now, Waller is tied to a $6.25M base salary that becomes guaranteed in Week 1.