Recently retired tight end Darren Waller praised the New York Giants’ ownership for their treatment of the players during his appearance on the Ross Tucker Podcast.

“I like the Giants a lot, and you could tell the ownership and people upstairs were very present. That was the first team that paid for your massages and acupuncture, and all those little things they took off your plate.

Yeah, just do things the right way. The way they treat families for training camp and get all that set up—it’s those little things that matter.

They showed they care about individual players. Dabs and Schoen are doing the best they can to build a great organization, care about players, and are interested in guys’ opinions.”

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Waller informed the team that he’d be stepping away from the game over the weekend.

“The passion has slowly been fading. I’ve, you know, made the decision that I’ll be retiring from the NFL,” Waller said in a YouTube video. “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.”

General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll put no pressure on Waller to make a decision but it was inevitable that one would be made ahead of this week’s mandatory minicamp.

“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’s retirement frees up approximately $11.6 million in cap space for the Giants as he was scheduled to make $10.5 million with a $14.1 million cap number. The move will now only cost the Giants $2.5 million in dead cap money this season (and $4.9 million in dead cap next season).

In addition to making Waller’s retirement official, the Giants also released running back Gary Brightwell off of injured reserve (IR) with an injury settlement.

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Darren Waller, our star tight end, announced his retirement from the NFL. After nine seasons, Waller has decided to step away from the game. This decision comes after an 18-month rollercoaster ride for him.

“I’ve decided to retire from the game of football,” he wrote separately on Instagram. “To God: what a journey, and thank you. We took it way farther than I ever could have imagined! So grateful for all the ppl I’ve been able to connect and create memories with along the way. We still got plenty more life left to live. Love you all. Peace.”

Darren Waller via Youtube

Waller’s Impact on the Giants

Waller was traded to the Giants from the Raiders in March 2023. He had high expectations but fell short. He played 12 games in 2023, recording 52 catches for 552 yards and one touchdown. Despite this, his presence on the field was always felt. His talent and athleticism were undeniable.

A Personal Journey

Waller shared his reasons for retiring on social media. He mentioned that his passion for the game had faded. In a heartfelt YouTube video, he expressed gratitude for his NFL journey. On Instagram, he thanked God and everyone who supported him. He also hinted at future endeavors beyond football. Recently, Waller has ventured into music, hinting at his next steps.

What’s Next for the Giants?

Waller’s retirement frees up significant cap space for the Giants. The team will save $11.6 million but incur a $2.5 million dead money hit. This financial flexibility can help the Giants build for the future. Waller’s departure leaves a gap, but it also presents new opportunities.

Darren Waller’s retirement marks the end of his Giants run filled with highs and lows. As Giants fans, we appreciate his wish him success in his next chapter. Lets Go Giants!

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Despite the injury, Waller played in New York’s embarrassing Week 1 loss against the Cowboys and led the team in receiving with 36 yards on three receptions. Waller, still hampered by his hamstring injury, was limited again at practice this week, leaving many questioning the significance of this injury and whether or not it would keep him out of the lineup in Week 2.

Waller reassured reporters on Thursday that the injury is insignificant and that he plans on playing this Sunday.

Darren Waller says he is “not worried” about his lingering hamstring injury

Waller, however, has a significant injury history throughout his career, calling his ability to stay healthy into question. The question was raised once again when Waller landed himself on the injury report last Friday. He has been dealing with a “lingering” hamstring injury stemming from nerve damage sustained in the muscle last season.

After not participating in Wednesday’s practice, Waller returned to the practice field in a limited capacity on Thursday. He told reporters that he is “not worried” about the injury and will be playing this Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

When asked to compare his current injury to that of last season’s, Waller said, “As far as the severity of last year it’s nowhere near that.” Waller missed eight games with a hamstring injury last season.

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The Giants will have a healthy Waller in the lineup on Sunday

The Giants will have Waller in the lineup this week as they face the Arizona Cardinals. Waller said, “Nah, I’m playing,” when reporters asked him if there was any chance of him taking the week off.

Last season’s injury was nothing unfamiliar to Waller. He also missed five games in 2021 with a hamstring injury. But, when asked if this year’s hamstring strain is one that concerns him long-term, Waller said, “No, not really.”

Evidently, Waller’s current injury is not much of a muscle strain as it is a nerve issue. “It more so has to do with the nerve that was behind it, so it’s not really a muscular issue,” Waller said on Wednesday. The Giants have been taking a careful approach to Waller’s health this season as they try to keep their star playmaker in the lineup for the duration of the year.

The post Giants star TE ‘not concerned’ about lingering hamstring injury first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

As the New York Giants prepare to face the Dallas Cowboys, one new member of the team already has previous experience with the rivalry: tight end Darren Waller. Growing up a Giants fan along with his dad, Waller knows what the energy in the matchup will be like.

“Growing up in a house with my parents, NFC East fans, I know the history,” he said. “I know how heated and competitive these games have been over the years and I know what I’m about to step into on Sunday. I am honored to take the field.”

He pointed to Odell Beckham Jr. as his favorite Giants player.

Waller is excited for the primetime action right away.

“I think these games are dope… Just having those games out of the gate, it’s exciting,” he said. “Those are the kind of environments that you want to play in, you know everybody’s watching and playing against a really good team. I feel like it’s going to bring the best out of you pretty early on.”

On facing the Cowboys’ defense

Waller explained that the Cowboys tend to play more zone coverage on earlier downs but switch to man on third down. He complimented the Cowboys’ safeties for their coverage skills, adding, “You’ll see some of those corners as well because they’ll match. It’ll basically be man when you are out wide. They’ve got a lot of talented cover players, so that’s who you want to go up against.”

On the expectations surrounding him

Waller admitted that he hears the noise and the expectations that he’ll have a big game right away. Still, he quoted motivational speaker and former college football player Inky Johnson, “Expectations are external, but standards are internal.”

“You can have a standard that’s what you have for yourself… My standard is however many plays come to me, however many opportunities come to me I try to make the most of those, and if it ends up being eight for some bigger plays then that is what it is.”

On Saquon Barkley

Waller explained the matchup nightmare that Saquon Barkley presents for opposing defenses. While they want to put an extra guy in the box to stop the run, “when you do that, you are more susceptible to those play actions and over routes, which I feel like I’ve succeeded a lot at in my career.”

In Waller’s one preseason cameo, he and Daniel Jones showed exactly what that play-action threat can be. Giants fans are looking forward to seeing that connection on Sunday night.

The post Darren Waller excited to experience Giants-Cowboys rivalry first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

For the New York Giants, this move is a smart one. Just a week after signing Daniel Jones to a four-year deal, general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll have provided him with a new offensive weapon.

The Giants will send a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, No. 100 overall, which the Giants obtained in the trade with Kansas City that sent Kadarius Toney to the Chiefs, as confirmed by the Giants press release.

Darren Waller, 30, is one of the NFL’s top receiving tight ends. Standing at 6-6 and weighing 255 pounds, he has played in 74 regular-season games with 52 starts, amassing 298 receptions for 3,572 yards and 19 touchdowns. The other tight ends on the roster—Daniel Bellinger, Lawrence Cager, Dre Miller, and fullback Chris Myarick—have a combined total of 55 career receptions.

I did not see this coming. I was getting ready to just do everything I could to make myself available for the Raiders and get ready for everything that was going to start in mid-April. So, it caught me off guard. But it’s the nature of the business.”

When healthy, Waller is among the league’s most productive tight ends. In 2020, he broke a Raiders franchise record with 107 receptions. Waller also achieved consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, with 1,145 yards in 2019 and 1,196 yards the following year, when he scored a career-high nine touchdowns and earned a Pro Bowl selection.

“With Dabs, just seeing him from when he was in Buffalo, you just see a high-octane offense,” Waller said. “A lot of playmakers, ball just flying around the yard no matter the weather conditions. It’s just an exciting brand of football, and you can tell by the way he’s come here, I feel like he’s really empowering players. And you can tell by just me looking at the tight end group that they had (in 2022), from the outside looking in, receivers that the casual fan may not know a lot about, but they’re making clutch plays in clutch moments. So, to see him and how he gets everybody involved and the creativity in which he does that, I’m excited to just be in the mix and be a part of what this offense is going to try to do.”

Let’s all welcome Darren Waller to Big Blue!

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