Raiders, Darren Waller Reach Agreement on Three-Year Extension

Las Vegas has locked up one of its top pass-catchers just before the start of the 2022 season.

Darren Waller has agreed to a three-year extension with the Raiders, which will keep the Pro Bowl tight end in Las Vegas for the next half-decade, the team announced Saturday. 

ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported that the two sides had agreed to terms. 

Waller’s extension is worth $51 million in new money, which will be added to the two years that remain on his current deal. All in all, the soon-to-be 30-year-old tight end will make $66.25 million over the next five years in Las Vegas. 

The Raiders and Waller had been engaged in negotiations throughout the offseason as the star tight end sought to add to his previous contract, which runs through the 2023 season and features non-guaranteed salaries of under $7 million per year. Although he’s been one of the most productive pass-catchers in the league in recent seasons, Waller’s age appeared to make the extension talks more difficult.

“This was one of the most challenging negotiations I’ve encountered,” Waller’s agent Drew Rosenhaus told Schefter. “It is very rare for a 30-year-old player with two years left on his contract to get a new deal.”

Darren Waller will be 30 this week. He had two years left in his contract with no money guaranteed - $7 million in each of the next two seasons.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 10, 2022

Waller is coming off of a 2021 season that saw injuries limit him to just 11 games. After a Pro Bowl campaign in ’20, the tight end’s number dropped significantly last year, as he made just 55 catches for 665 yards and two touchdowns. 

However, Waller was spectacular in the two seasons prior, breaking the 1,000-yard mark in both ’19 and ’20. He caught 12 touchdown passes over the course of those two seasons and established himself as one of Derek Carr’s most trusted targets in a potent Raiders offense.

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With his new deal signed, Waller will return to the field alongside star wide receivers Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow when Las Vegas takes the field against the Chargers on Sunday afternoon. 

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