Giants tight end Darren Waller says ‘very scary’ hospitalization last season led to retirement decision
By Associated Press
10/06/2024
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller announced his retirement from playing football on Sunday, saying he “finds a lot of joy” in the game but “that passion is slowly fading away.”
In a nearly 18-minute video posted to his YouTube channel, Waller, 31, confirmed he has been stepping away from the game for the past several months after considering his future.
The Giants had been awaiting Waller’s decision to play this season. He did not attend the team’s offseason workouts and mandatory minicamp begins Tuesday.
Waller detailed a “very scary” medical situation he faced last November while dealing with an injury he suffered in a game a few days earlier. He said he was driving home to New Jersey after shooting a music video when he began to feel ill and later “started shaking quite violently” and couldn’t breathe. He said he called 911 and was hospitalized for 3 1/2 days.
“I go back to my daily life and I’m clearly aware that I almost lost my life and I don’t know if I really feel that good about how my life would have gone if I had died at that point,” Waller said. “I’m doing something that I find great joy in and that I’ve had wonderful moments with, but the passion is slowly fading.”
He said the experience “forced me into a position of reevaluating, you know, and I’ve made the decision that I will retire from the NFL.”
Waller, who struggled with a hamstring problem the past three years, was limited to 12 games and had 52 catches for 552 yards and a touchdown in his only season with the Giants. He was scheduled to earn $10.5 million in 2024 and count $14.1 million against the salary cap. With his retirement, the Giants save $11.6 million in cap money and lose $2.5 million in dead money.
Drafted by the Ravens in the sixth round in 2015, Waller overcame early drug problems to establish himself as one of the NFL’s top tight ends. He was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy and was suspended again for the 2017 season for a second violation of the policy.
Waller has spoken openly about his struggles with addiction as well as dealing with depression and anxiety.
“I’m forever grateful for the game of football,” he said. “If I didn’t have the opportunity to save my life and go into rehab that the NFL gave me, I wouldn’t be able to have this conversation or think about things or self-reflect. They gave me the opportunity to get back out in the world and do something productive, set an example, be a leader, be a difference maker in my job, but also be myself day-to-day wherever I go.
“So man, I’ll always be grateful.”
Waller finished his career with 350 receptions, 4,124 yards and 20 touchdowns in 86 games. He played with the Ravens and Raiders before spending his final season with the Giants, who acquired him in an offseason trade.
“We have great respect for Darren as a person and player,” the Giants said in a statement. “We wish him nothing but the best.”
The Ravens waived Waller before the 2018 season and he was signed to the Raiders’ practice squad. He appeared in four games and had six catches.
His breakout seasons came in 2019 and ’20, when he totaled 197 catches for 2,341 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the 2020 season and went as an alternate last year as well, but missed it because of a thumb injury.
Waller and Giants coach Brian Daboll exchanged text messages in the offseason, but the coach said last Thursday that the team is still waiting to make a decision about his playing future.
There were high expectations for Waller last season, but he didn’t do much for a team that went 6-11 and missed the playoffs a year after reaching a postseason berth for the first time since 2016.
Waller is set to retire from the WNBA in March 2023. He is married to Kelsey Plum, but she filed for divorce in April.
New York recently selected Penn State tight end Theo Johnson in the fourth round in case Waller doesn’t return. Daniel Bellinger and Lawrence Cager return from last season. New York also signed veteran Chris Manhertz in free agency.
