Retired NFL TE Darren Waller Thanks New York Giants For Handling Unpredictable Offseason

The New York Giants fail to do much ‘inspiring’ on the field, though the organization sounds like a decent place for players off the field. 

The G-Men take care of their players, and nowhere was this more apparent than in handling tight end Darren Waller this offseason.

The former Giant recently appeared on the Ross Tucker podcast. He discussed his experience with the team, including their response to the possibility of his retiring, and spoke about Daniel Jones' situation with the Giants offense. 

READ: New York Giants TE Darren Waller Will Officially Retire After Bizarre Offseason Drama

The news of Waller stepping away shocked a healthy number of Giants fans, considering his young age (31) in the position and the $10.5 million salary slated for 2024. Some character concerns about Waller arose but were put to rest when he announced his retirement in June. Leading up to the news, Waller kept the Giants guessing about his future.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 2: Darren Waller #12 of the New York Giants runs onto the field prior to a game against the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife Stadium on October 2, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

Despite landing on retirement, Waller fondly remembers his short stint in New Jersey.

"I liked the Giants a lot, the ownership," Waller said in the interview, "paid for acupuncture and massages. They do things the right way. The way they treat families."

Makes you wonder how the situation would have been different if the militant Tom Coughlin had still been in the building.

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Waller — previously a Pro Bowl selection and coming into his second year with New York — ultimately folded as an experiment on offense for the Giants. He also commented on the situation with Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, expressing concern about a highly-paid player losing the team's confidence.

The tight end defended DJ, faulting the Giants' notoriously awful offensive line for Jones' missed opportunities on the field. Waller shared, "You can't expect anyone to be successful with the pocket the way it was, I don't think he really got a fair shot." 

Big Blue fans felt the sting of a failed experiment with Waller, mainly due to the solid trade deal: acquiring Waller in exchange for a draft pick sent to the Raiders, previously obtained by trading away Kadarius Toney.

The pass-catching tight end landed in New Jersey at the wrong point in his career — riding off into the sunset after one season. Waller said in his retirement announcement that he eventually lost his passion for the game while in New York and retired after dealing with off-field issues, such as a divorce from Las Vegas Aces player Kelsey Plum.  

WTF: Darren Waller Drops Another Strange Rap As Retirement News Looms

Waller exhibited some strange behavior on social media this offseason, prompting concerns over the player's well-being. He subverted all expectations with a confidently delivered video announcing his decision to retire. Based on the video, Waller's better judgment hit at the perfect time.

For a player as unpredictable as Waller — at one point releasing an R&B/Hip-Hop track over his break-up this summer — hearing his cogent side of the rollercoaster ride with the Giants was a positive, albeit surprising, revelation.

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