Darren Waller trade: Tight end to come out of retirement as Giants send former Pro Bowler to Dolphins

When the Miami Dolphins traded tight end Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday, it was reported that they had already engaged with teams on potentially trading for his replacement. However, not many expected the Dolphins to trade for a player who had recently retired.

According to CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones, the Dolphins are finalizing a trade with the New York Giants for tight end Darren Waller. Miami is giving up a 2026 sixth-round pick for the former Pro Bowl pass-catcher, plus getting a conditional 2027 seventh-round pick in return, according to multiple reports. Waller made the surprising decision to retire at 31 last year following his one season with the Giants. Since New York still owned his rights, Miami had to give up compensation to acquire him.

Waller caught just 52 passes for 552 yards and one touchdown in 12 games with the Giants in 2023, but he was viewed as one of the best tight ends in the league during his time with the Las Vegas Raiders. He put together back-to-back 1,100-yard campaigns beginning in 2019, and led all tight ends with 107 catches for 1,196 yards and a career-high nine touchdowns in 2020.

An upgrade at tight end was necessary after the Dolphins made the decision to part ways with Smith, who put together the best campaign by a tight end in franchise history, catching 88 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns. Miami was relatively thin at the position, having just Pharaoh Brown, Tanner Conner, Jalin Conyers, Julian Hill and Hayden Rucci on roster. While the Dolphins are not known for relying heavily on their tight ends in the pass game, Waller is a versatile receiver that can line up in different spots.

Dolphins TE ranks since 2022

Waller is reunited with Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith, who served as Waller's tight ends coach in Oakland and Vegas from 2018-20. Waller is also likely intrigued by what his role could be in Mike McDaniel's scheme. He revealed just last month that how the Giants utilized him caused Waller to consider hanging up the cleats and chase a music career. 

"I knew I was retiring when we played in Buffalo," Waller said during a conversation with Michael Schwartz of WKBW. "It was a game where it was really controversial because one of the guys held me at the end, and they didn't call it. It was in the first quarter of the game, we were running like this counter-lead running play, and I'm kind of like leading through the hole like I'm a fullback. And the play is working, but I sit down on the sideline after a drive where we ran it like three times, and I'm like, 'What the f--- am I doing with my life? I'm out here playing fullback. I don't even wanna do this shit anymore.'

"Nobody else would really even know that I'm thinking this, but I'm on the sideline like, 'Yep. I'm going to finish this year to the best of my ability, but I'm definitely done playing after this year. And that was the only time I played in Buffalo." 

Players who take a year off from football usually don't return and hit the ground running, but Waller is a big-bodied receiver that could carve out a role next to speeders Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.