Darren Waller Reportedly Traded to Dolphins From Giants, Will End NFL Retirement

The Miami Dolphins are acquiring veteran tight end Darren Waller from the New York Giants, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

ESPN's Adam Schefter confirmed Miami is sending a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick to New York and is also receiving a 2027 seventh-rounder.

The 2020 Pro Bowler didn't suit up last season after retiring from the league. Now that he's putting the pads back on and heading to South Florida, he'll fill the void left by Jonnu Smith, whom the Dolphins traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday.

The 32-year-old's production has fallen off since his Pro Bowl season. After back-to-back 1,000 yard campaigns, he notched 1,605 receiving yards and six touchdowns from 2021-23. His 10.6 yards per catch with the Giants were also his lowest since 2016.

Having dealt Smith at a relatively late juncture of the offseason, the Dolphins weren't left with a lot of great options to bolster their depth at tight end, though.

Waller is at least a proven pass-catcher who may benefit from the stronger supporting cast in Miami.

New York cycled through Tyrod Taylor, Tommy DeVito and Daniel Jones during his season there, while the receiving corps was led by Darius Slayton and Wan'Dale Robinson. Now, he's joining an offense with Tua Tagovailoa under center and the pair of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle out wide.

Speaking to Michael Schwartz of 7 News WKBW, Waller explained how he started to weigh retirement during the Giants' road loss to the Buffalo Bills in October 2023. He was growing frustrated with his role and losing his passion for the game:

That might also help to explain why his performance failed to match what he had done with the Las Vegas Raiders.

With a change of scenery, Waller might put together a bounce-back season in 2025.