Former New York Giants tight end Darren Waller Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Ex-NY Giants TE Darren Waller on When He Knew He Was Done with Football

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Patricia Traina | Last updated Jun 15, 2025 2:46 PM ET

Former New York Giants tight end Darren Waller recently revealed that midway through his first season with the team, he lost his desire to play the game.

The revelation was made during an interview with Waller on The Side You Don’t See podcast, where Waller opened up about his state of mind at the time and how he was struggling more than he realized.

"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 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 sat down on the sideline after a drive where we ran like three times, and I'm like, ‘What am I doing with my life? I'm out here playing fullback. I don't even want to do this anymore.’"

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Waller, whom the Giants acquired via a trade with the Raiders for a third-round pick before the 2023 season, had hoped for a fresh start in New York after some recent injury woes with the Raiders.

It was not meant to be as he dealt with chronic hamstring issues with the Giants, at one point landing on injured reserve. He was also dealing with the deterioration of his marriage to WNBA star Kelsey Plum, and he later revealed after he called it quits that he went through a dire medical emergency that landed him in the hospital for several days.

Since retiring from the game, Waller has been focusing on his overall health and his music.