Darren Waller still debating between a return to Giants or retirement: 'I have not made a decision either way'
The 31-year-old Waller has missed 19 games over the past three seasons
A day after the New York Giants felt as if Darren Waller would be returning for the 2024 season, the veteran tight end said he's "still undecided" about his future.
“I have not made a decision either way,’’ Waller told the New York Post.
On Friday, the Post reported that sources within the team said the 31-year-old Waller, who was reportedly contemplating retirement, would play in 2024 after a disappointing first season in New York. But it remains unclear if general manager Joe Schoen will need to look for a new tight end this offseason.
Waller, 31, missed four games due to injury in 2023 and has been unable to stay healthy on a regular basis since the 2020 season when he was with the Las Vegas Raiders.
In 12 games during his first season with the Giants, Waller caught 52 passes for 552 yards and a touchdown.
The Giants acquired Waller in a March 2023 trade in exchange for a draft pick. His contract runs through the 2026 season after signing a $51 million extension in 2022.
Should Waller play in 2024, he will make a base salary of $10.5 million and carry a $14 million salary-cap hit, according to OverTheCap.com. (That cap hit jumps to $15.4 million in 2025 and $17.4 million in 2026.) There is no guaranteed money remaining on his contract, which is why he was a candidate to be cut this offseason.
When healthy, Waller has shown he can be a major factor on offense. During his two best NFL seasons with the Raiders — 2019 and 2020 — he recorded a combined 197 receptions, 2,341 yards and 12 touchdowns. But since 2020, he has missed 19 games due to injury.
Waller vowed in December to use the offseason to find a way to stay on the field more regularly. Should he choose to return, the Giants will give him that chance in 2024 and hope for the best.
