Darren Waller comes out of retirement, traded to Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins are finalizing a trade to acquire tight end Darren Waller from the New York Giants, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Waller, 32, announced his retirement from the NFL last June.

Waller sat out for a year, but according to Pelissero, he is “refreshed mentally and physically and ready to give it another shot.” The Giants are receiving a 2026 sixth-round pick from Miami in exchange for Waller and a conditional 2027 seventh-round selection.

It’s a low risk move for the Dolphins, who traded Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday. Waller, a Pro Bowler in 2020, has 4,124 receiving yards in 86 games across eight seasons. Miami’s tight end room of Pharaoh Brown, Julian Hill, Tanner Conner and Jalin Conyers (rookie) have a combined 915 career receiving yards.

Waller last played 12 games in 2023 for the Giants. New York acquired him in the offseason from the Las Vegas Raiders, taking on the remainder of his three-year, $51 million contract. Waller hauled in 52 receptions for 552 yards and one touchdown. He told Michael Schwartz of WKBW that he came to the decision to retire during the Week 6 defeat to the Buffalo Bills that season.

Darren Waller coming out of retirement to play for Dolphins

“I knew I was retiring when we played in Buffalo,” Waller said. “It was a game where it was really controversial because one of the guys held me at the end, and they didn’t call it. It was in the first quarter of the game, we were running like this counter-lead running play, and I’m kind of like leading through the hole like I’m a fullback. And the play is working, but I sit down on the sideline after a drive where we ran it like three times, and I’m like, ‘What the f--- am I doing with my life? I’m out here playing fullback. I don’t even wanna do this s--- anymore.’

“Nobody else would really even know that I’m thinking this, but I’m on the sideline like, ‘Yep. I’m going to finish this year to the best of my ability, but I’m definitely done playing after this year.’ And that was the only time I played in Buffalo.” 

Waller is back in the NFL and back in the AFC. He joins an offense headlined by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, running back De’Von Achane and the receiver tandem of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.