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New York Giants tight end Darren Waller had an unconventional rise to NFL stardom during his time with the Las Vegas Raiders, but it's been a few years since he has delivered high-end fantasy football seasons. The 31-year-old hasn't eclipsed 700 receiving yards since 2020, and injuries seem to be the main issue.
When a player deals with a ton of bumps and bruises over a two-to-three-year stretch, retirement can become a possibility.
Will Waller retire during the 2024 NFL offseason, or will he play this year? Let's dive into how Waller's 2023 campaign went and whether or not he could hang it up before Week 1.
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Darren Waller 2023 Season Review
In 12 games last year, Waller caught 52 of his 74 targets for 552 yards and one touchdown. Unfortunately, he spent five weeks on injured reserve with a hamstring issue -- which has become a recurring ailment for the one-time Pro Bowler. He missed eight games in 2022 and six games in 2021 while in Las Vegas.
🚨 #NATIONALTIGHTENDSDAY TD! 🚨 First TD at MetLife this year for @Rackkwall83!
📺: #WASvsNYG on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/iTs8HMaXlh pic.twitter.com/6r7voUc2Ke— NFL (@NFL) October 22, 2023
While he didn't get back to his elite ways after being traded to the Giants, he remained a top-10 tight end in target share (20.6%), air yards share (21.5%), average target distance (8.0), expected fantasy points per game (12.1), and yards per team pass attempt (1.42), according to PlayerProfiler.com.
That said, he was still commanding targets down the field, signaling New York remained committed to getting him the ball.
Will Darren Waller Retire This Offseason?
Waller reportedly told Vic Tafur of The Athletic that he was still undecided on whether or not he will retire this offseason. Although he understood the organization would like to have an answer from him before the 2024 NFL Draft, he does not want to put a deadline on his decision.
#Giants TE Darren Waller told @VicTafur that he's still undecided on if he wants to play or retire from the NFL. Waller knows the Giants would probably want a decision before the draft, but he also doesn't want to put a hard deadline on himself.https://t.co/Y2XGzFSu4y pic.twitter.com/FJVFYsdvBM
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 9, 2024
Ultimately, his lingering injury issues and lack of projected team success for New York could drive him to hang up his cleats. However, it's too early to make any predictions. This will be a situation worth monitoring, as Waller still has TE1 intrigue and upside in 2024 fantasy football, no matter who is at quarterback for the G-Men.
If he retires, Daniel Bellinger could move back into the TE1 role, but there's also a chance the Giants draft someone to compete with Bellinger. Unless the replacement is Brock Bowers, a rookie tight end is likely to have limited upside catching passes from Daniel Jones or a fellow rookie from the 2024 draft class.
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