Despite Health Woes, Giants' Darren Waller Still Regarded as a Top Tight End

Waller is contemplating retiring and is believed to be nearing a decision soon.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

With each passing day, it looks like New York Giants tight end Darren Waller will call it a career.

But in the meantime, Waller, whom the Giants acquired last off-season from the Raiders in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick, is still considered to be among the top tight ends in the game according to Pro Football Focus, who ranked Waller 17th among the league’s 32 projected starting tight ends ahead of the 2024 season.

In his first campaign with the Giants last year, Waller appeared in 12 games, catching 55 passes for 552 yards and one touchdown while averaging 10.6 yards per reception. 

At one point during the season, Waller was among the league leaders in yards for tight ends, but after a hamstring injury that sidelined him for five weeks, he couldn't regain his momentum.

"Waller produces when he is healthy, but he’s likely never going to replicate his incredible three-year stretch from 2019 to 2021, where he was one of the most dominant tight ends in the game," wrote PFF analyst John Kosko of his ranking of Waller.

Waller currently has the fifth-highest cap hit on the team at just over $14 million. If he decides to retire, the Giants, who currently have a league-low $1,095,031 of cap space, would save $11.625 million on their cap.

The Giants have been operating as if Waller is not returning. They drafted tight end Theo Johnson at the top of the fourth round, who's athletic and draws comparisons to Waller's play style. 

Johnson could potentially contribute heavily to the passing game as a rookie and is more than capable of being a blocker.  

• RELATED: What Giants TE Theo Johnson Brings to the Offense

The Giants' tight end room also currently includes Daniel Bellinger, Lawrence Cager, Jack Stoll, Chris Manhertz, and Tyree Jackson. Stoll and Manhertz were added mainly for their blocking ability, which the Giants need at the position. 

Bellinger was their top option during his rookie year in 2022 and heads into 2024, potentially in the same role if Waller isn't with the team.

His usage dropped in 2023 when he appeared in 62 percent of offensive snaps in 17 games compared to 72 percent in 12 games as a rookie. He had 25 catches for 255 yards last season and couldn't grab a touchdown.

Waller can produce when healthy, but that's been his problem lately. One can almost count on Waller missing games in each year moving forward. But the question now becomes, are there any years left? 

Again, it looks increasingly like Waller, who has been focusing on his budding music career this off-season, isn’t coming back.

While it’s thought that the Giants would welcome him back with open arms, the fact that they have made contingency plans to move on without him is very telling of how this odd saga is going to end.  

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