A former Baltimore Ravens tight end is back in the NFL after taking a year off.
Oct 22, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants tight end Darren Waller (12) catches the ball during the first half Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn ImagesA year after announcing his retirement, former Baltimore Ravens tight end Darren Waller is back in the NFL.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Miami Dolphins are acquiring the former Pro Bowler from the New York Giants. Waller is also signing a new, “incentive-laden” contract as part of the trade.
The Ravens selected Waller, 32, in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Georgia Tech. Unfortunately, his time in Baltimore was marred by substance abuse issues, which he had been battling since he was a teenager. He was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season and the entire 2017 season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, and after the latter suspension, he stepped away from football to enter rehab.
In total, Waller caught just 12 passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns in 18 games with the Ravens.
In November of 2018, the then-Oakland Raiders signed Waller off the Ravens’ practice squad, and it proved to be the best outcome possible for him. He soon emerged as a star in black and silver, catching 286 passes for 3,469 yards and 17 touchdowns over his five seasons with the team. He posted more than 1,100 yards in back-to-back seasons in 2019 and 2020, earning his lone Pro Bowl selection in the latter year.
Waller last played for the Giants in 2023, catching 52 passes for 552 yards and one touchdown on the year.
This move comes just after the Dolphins traded away starting tight end Jonnu Smith in a blockbuster with the Pittsburgh Steelers, so Waller will take over as the top option at the position.