Giants' Darren Waller Designated to Return from IR amid Hamstring Injury Rehab

Riding a three-game winning streak that has given them some life in the NFC playoff race, the New York Giants could be getting tight end Darren Waller back on the field soon.

The Giants announced on Thursday they opened Waller's 21-day practice window as he works his way back from a hamstring injury that landed him on injured reserve in November.

Head coach Brian Daboll told reporters on Wednesday that Waller was "making progress," but he stopped short of saying the former Pro Bowler would be able to play this week against the New Orleans Saints.

"We'll see," Daboll said. "Go through the week and determine it at the end of the week."

Waller was more optimistic than his coach when asked about possibly playing on Sunday.

"Just a matter of them opening up the window and I'll be bat practice," he told reporters. "So whenever that is, I'll be out there."

Waller did acknowledge he "probably" won't be able to play the regular amount of snaps he's accustomed to in his first game back, but he hopes to find a "number that's solid that can contribute in whatever ways he needs me to contribute" for the benefit of the team.

The Giants placed Waller on injured reserve on Nov. 4 after he aggravated a hamstring injury in a Week 8 loss to the New York Jets. He originally suffered the injury in Week 1 when he was a late addition to the injury report, though he was able to play in each of the first eight games.

Despite not playing in each of the past five games, Waller still ranks second on the Giants in receptions (36) and receiving yards (384).

New York currently has the third-longest active win streak in the NFC, behind the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers (both with five). The surprise surge has the team one game behind the Green Bay Packers for the final playoff spot.

It's still a steep hill for the Giants to climb because four other teams besides the Packers also have a 6-7 record going into Week 15, but this is still a dramatic turnaround for a team that looked like the worst in the NFL after a 49-17 loss to the Cowboys on Nov. 12.