New York Giants tight end Darren Waller is planning to retire from the NFL, as he reportedly informed the team on Sunday, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The decision wasn’t too much of a shock as Waller has been teasing a retirement announcement during most of the offseason. He wanted to let the Giants know about his future before the start of minicamp.
The 31-year-old played just one season with the Giants, finishing with 52 catches for 552 yards and one touchdown in 12 games while battling a hamstring injury. He had three years left on his contract with the team, but now the Giants will gain around $11.6 million in cap space.
Sources: #Giants TE Darren Waller has informed the team he plans to retire, walking away at the age of 31 after just one season with NYG.
Waller hasn’t attended workouts, and the team had known for some time he may not play. Now, he’s officially let them know before minicamp. pic.twitter.com/1ZTmj1VX2m
Waller’s NFL career began in 2015 when he was drafted in the sixth round by the Baltimore Ravens. He played just two seasons there as he was suspended the entirety of the 2017 season after violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.
After Baltimore, Waller was picked up mid-season in 2018 by the Las Vegas Raiders. He played there until the end of the ’22 season. He earned one Pro Bowl honor in his NFL career.
Waller recently filed for divorce from Las Vegas Aces star Kelsey Plum after one year of marriage back in April. He also released a music video just a couple weeks ago, so this may be his next career path.
MADISON WILLIAMS
Madison Williams is a Staff Writer on the Breaking & Trending News Team at Sports Illustrated, where she has covered the entire sports landscape since 2022. She specializes in tennis, but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining Sports Illustrated, Madison worked with The Sporting News. She hails from Augustana College and completed a Master’s in Sports Media at Northwestern University. Madison is a dog mom and an avid reader.
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