Less than two years after signing his mega contract, tight end Darren Waller is calling it quits.
Back in 2022, the Green Bay Packers nearly traded for tight end Darren Waller in the Davante Adams move that sent the All-Pro receiver to the Las Vegas Raiders . According to our reporting at the time , the Packers actually accepted a trade offer that would have sent a first-round pick and Waller to Green Bay for Adams before the league office had to step in and tell both the Packers and Raiders that a franchise-tagged player who has yet to sign his offer (Adams) could not be traded for another player — only picks — per the NFL’s rules.
After a couple of days of back and forth, Waller was replaced by a second-round draft choice, and Adams was officially a Raider. This didn’t stop the Packers’ pursuit of Waller, though, as the team reportedly tried to trade for the tight end even after the Adams move.
General manager Brian Gutekunst may not have known it at the time, but the Raiders not making Waller available after the Adams trade was a bullet dodged. Before the 2022 season, Waller signed a three-year, $51 million extension with Las Vegas that made him the highest-paid tight end in football according to his per-year average. From that point on, he would only register 28 catchers, 388 yards and three touchdowns for the Raiders before he was traded to the New York Giants in 2023 for a third-round pick — presumably less than the Packers’ asking price the year prior.
Waller missed five games in 2023 and eight in 2022 with hamstring injuries. Now, the former star tight end has officially retired from football after posting less than 1,000 yards after his megadeal.
Darren Waller officially has announced his retirement from the NFL. pic.twitter.com/LECjWkSjAn
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 9, 2024
Sometimes, falling short on trades is a blessing in disguise. Fans were mad in the moment that the team couldn’t get the job done, but it ended up turning alright for Green Bay. The pick that the Raiders subbed for Waller in the Adams trade ended up being part of the trade-up for Christian Watson, who despite dealing with hamstring issues of his own, is still active in the NFL and has actually cracked 1,000 receiving yards over the last two seasons. Given the alternative, I’d rather have this option.
Continue Reading @ Justis Mosqueda
Justis Mosqueda wrote: