Darren Waller Makes First Statement on NFL Return After Scoring 2 TDs in Dolphins Win

There is a feeling athletes chase. It’s the one they had as kids, when the game was pure and joyful, before contracts and pressure changed everything. Darren Waller said he lost that feeling. Over time, the love for the game got buried under stress and expectations.

“I feel like when I started playing football as a kid, I feel like I lost that sh*t sometimes,” he said, his voice trailing off for just a beat after the Dolphins’ chaotic 27-21 win over the Jets. “But yeah, tonight was pretty cool.” It was more than cool; it was a resurrection staged in the middle of a beautiful disaster.

Coming back to the league is one thing. Coming back with the weight of expectation is another. Waller felt it all day Monday. “Yeah, a little bit of fear, a little bit of everything,” he admitted, “cause I haven’t really been practicing a ton.”

He hadn’t done much with the team, and the internal monologue was screaming at him to “be somebody that this team can rely on and give the team a return on their investment.” He delivered that return early, a stunning TD grab over Sauce Gardner where he threaded the needle and tapped both feet inbounds. It was a perfect throw from Tua Tagovailoa, a statement from a guy just trying to find his rhythm again.

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