Current:Home > StocksFormer Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller announces retirement from NFL after eight seasons-InfoLens
Former Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller announces retirement from NFL after eight seasons
View Date:2024-12-23 11:54:15
Darren Waller is calling it a career.
The New York Giants tight end will retire from football, he announced in a YouTube video.
"The passion is slowly been fading. I've, you know, made the decision that I'll be retiring from the NFL," Waller said. "Eternally grateful for the game of football. I wouldn't be able to have this conversation or to think things through or be self-reflective if it wasn't for an opportunity to save my life and go to rehab, which the NFL offered me."
The decision comes after Waller spent months contemplating whether he was going to come back to the football field or step away. In March, he told The Athletic he was considering retirement as he was unsure if he could be fully invested in a season, as well as his injury history. Recently, Waller and WNBA star Kelsey Plum filed for divorce after one year of marriage, and Waller released a music video that alluded to their breakup.
It's been an up-and-down professional football career for Waller, who was drafted in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens. He played in 18 games in two season, but he dealt with multiple suspensions for violating the league's substance abuse policy, including a full-season suspension in 2017 as he battled drug addiction.
All things Giants: Latest New York Giants news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.
Waller signed with the Raiders in the middle of the 2018 season after Baltimore released him, but he had a breakout season in 2019. In 2020, he had arguably the best season of his career with 107 catches, 1,196 receiving yards and nine touchdowns as he was named a Pro Bowler. He emerged as one of the top tight ends in the league after the 2020 season, but he dealt with injuries over the next three seasons.
In 2022, he signed a three-year deal worth $51 million that made him one of the highest-paid tight ends in the NFL. In March 2023, the Raiders traded Waller to the Giants in what expected to be a big boost to the New York offense. However, Waller was again limited by injuries, as he appeared in only 12 games with 52 catches, 552 receiving yards and one touchdown.
New York had given Waller space as he contemplated his future, and they still have Daniel Bellinger, who was the starter as a rookie last season. The team also drafted former Penn State tight end Theo Johnson in the fourth round in this year's draft. The Giants will gain nearly $12 million in cap space with a dead money charge of $2.458 million in 2024.
"We have great respect for Darren as a person and player. We wish him nothing but the best," the Giants said in a statement.
Waller finishes his eight-year NFL career with 350 catches, 4,124 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns.
Contributing: Art Stapleton, NorthJersey.com
veryGood! (586)
Related
- Biden EPA to charge first-ever ‘methane fee’ for drilling waste by oil and gas companies
- How much does a Super Bowl commercial cost in 2024? 30-second ad prices through history
- $6.5K reward as Arizona officials investigate the killing of a desert bighorn sheep near Gila Bend
- Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker steals Super Bowl record away from 49ers kicker Jake Moody
- Georgia remains part of College Football Playoff bracket projection despite loss
- 'Oppenheimer' wins top honor at 2024 Directors Guild Awards, a predictor of Oscar success
- Weird & Clever Products on Amazon That Will Make Your Home so Much Cooler
- Maryland man becomes second winner of $5 million from 50 Years scratch-off game
- Nearly 80,000 pounds of Costco butter recalled for missing 'Contains Milk statement': FDA
- Digital evidence leads to clues in deaths of two friends who were drugged and dumped outside LA hospitals by masked men
Ranking
- 'America's flagship' SS United States has departure from Philadelphia to Florida delayed
- Chinese authorities cancel Argentina friendlies amid Messi backlash
- The S&P 500 hit a new record. Why the milestone does (and does not) matter for your 401(k)
- Man who attacked Las Vegas judge during sentencing now indicted by a grand jury for attempted murder
- Jennifer Lopez Turns Wicked Premiere Into Family Outing With 16-Year-Old Emme
- Pamela Anderson reveals why she ditched makeup. There's a lot we can learn from her.
- Reba McEntire Delivers Star-Spangled Performance at Super Bowl 2024
- Watch: Danny DeVito, Arnold Schwarzenegger reunite in State Farm Super Bowl commercial
Recommendation
-
Investigation into Chinese hacking reveals ‘broad and significant’ spying effort, FBI says
-
Christopher Nolan, Celine Song, AP’s Mstyslav Chernov win at Directors Guild Awards
-
'He Gets Us' returns with new Super Bowl commercials for Jesus
-
Reba McEntire Delivers Star-Spangled Performance at Super Bowl 2024
-
Horoscopes Today, November 11, 2024
-
Search continues for suspect in the fatal shooting of a Tennessee deputy; 2 related arrests made
-
See Patrick Mahomes and Wife Brittany's Adorable Family Moments On and Off the Field
-
MLB offseason awards: Best signings, biggest surprises | Nightengale's Notebook