Giants Country

Giants Continue to Wait on TE Darren Waller's Retirement Decision

Waller's lack of a decision will not affect what the Giants do in next week's draft.

Patricia Traina

New York Giants tight end Darren Waller
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
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New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen confirmed that the team has not placed a deadline on tight end Darren Waller, who has been contemplating retiring from the NFL after a disappointing and injury-filled first season with the team.

Waller, among a small handful of players who did not report to the start of the team's voluntary off-season program on Monday, finished second on the team with 52 receptions, 552 yards, and one touchdown last season.

He missed five games with a hamstring injury, which landed him on injured reserve, but he came back for the team's Week 14 game against the New Orleans Saints, adding 16 receptions (on 23 targets) for 168 yards to his season totals.

“We’re giving Darren his space,” Schoen said Thursday at his pre-draft news conference. “We’ve had conversations with Drew Rosenhaus, his agent. He’s keeping us in the loop. We’re giving Darren space. Hopefully, he will make a decision in the short term, but we’re giving him time and space to decide on what he wants to do.”

While the Giants would no doubt prefer to know of Waller's decision sooner than later, there is a major advantage to having Waller, who has said he plans to decide before summer training camp, take his time.

If Waller retires, it would likely be a post-June 1 transaction, which means the Giants would gain $11.625 million in cap savings rather than the $6.707 million they'd gain if he were a pre-June 1 transaction.

That $11.625 million savings, in addition to the $5.447 million they currently have, should be more than enough to make it through the 2024 season without restructuring any more contracts this year.

Waller has appeared in 32 games over the last three seasons, the 12 games played last year being the highest in that span.

Schoen has also said that the team will not alter its personnel plans regardless of what Waller decides.

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.