NFL Trade Rumors: New York Giants Tight End Darren Waller Mulling Retirement

The New York Giants are facing an uncertain future with one of their premier players. Speaking with the media on Thursday, head coach Brian Daboll revealed that Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller remains absent from organized team activities as he continues to ponder retirement.

Neither TE Darren Waller nor WR Darius Slayton are at Giants OTAs, Brian Daboll said. He didn’t seem bothered by that, nor did he say when they might return.

Waller is still pondering retirement. Slayton wants a new contract. pic.twitter.com/fmXsou6J4o
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) May 23, 2024

Waller will turn 32 years old in September and has missed 19 games since 2020, his first and only Pro Bowl season. He signed a massive three-year, $51 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 before eventually being traded to the Giants last March for the 100th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Waller averaged 46.0 yards per game and 7.5 yards per target in his first season on the Giants, so he remains an effective pass catcher when available. Walking away from the game makes some sense considering his age and injury history, but given his career earnings so far ($42,050,241), leaving his upcoming salaries on the table could be hard to stomach: He's set to earn non-guaranteed salaries of $10.525, $11.525, and $13.525 million over the next three seasons. Frankly, he'd probably be a cut candidate if the Giants hadn't recently given up a significant draft asset to acquire him.

Waller's teammate Darius Slayton is also missing time as he pursues a new contract, so the Giants' pass-catching corps is facing multiple questions ahead of the 2024 season. The Giants finished 30th in scoring last season with 15.6 points per game, and Slayton and Waller were their top two leading receivers. If the Giants can't get their best players on the field, they're probably in for yet another long season.