Giants tight end Darren Waller is retiring from football after eight seasons in the league.
SNY NFL Insider Connor Hughes has confirmed that Waller has officially informed the Giants that he plans to retire, making his decision official before mandatory minicamp begins.
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan had reported earlier this month that people around the Giants expected Waller to call it a career.
“We have great respect for Darren as a person and player,” the Giants said in a team statement. “We wish him nothing but the best.”
Big Blue had been giving the veteran his time and space to decide the next step in his career after he told reporters earlier this offseason that he was unsure if he was going to be back with the squad for a second season.
After mulling things over, it appears the 32-year-old is ready to hang up the spikes and call it quits.
Waller was selected in the sixth round of the 2015 Draft by the Ravens but he was cut after being limited to just 18 games over his first two years following a substance abuse suspension.
The Georgia native landed with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders, where he started on the practice squad, but eventually took advantage of his second chance in the league.
Waller ended up making the Pro Bowl and he finished third in AP Comeback Player of the Year voting during a breakout 2020 campaign in which he hauled in 90 catches for 1,145 yards and three touchdowns.
After two stellar seasons, injuries began to hamper his career and he appeared in just 20 games over his final two years with the Raiders, before being traded to the Giants for a third-round pick last offseason.
Waller’s Big Blue career didn’t quite go as planned, as he was limited to just 12 games due to a lingering hamstring issue, and he hauled in just 52 receptions for 552 yards and one touchdown when on the field.
Overall, he finishes his time in the NFL with a total of 350 reception for 4,125 yards and 20 touchdowns across 86 games.
The Giants did well to provide themselves with a contingency plan in case Waller did ultimately retire, selecting Penn State’s Theo Johnson in the fourth round to form a duo with Daniel Bellinger.
The 6-foot-6 athletic tight end saw his usage increase each year during his collegiate career and he viewed Big Blue as a perfect fit in the draft for his skillset.