In one of the most unexpected twists of the summer, Darren Waller has come out of retirement... and has been traded by the New York Giants to the Miami Dolphins. It’s not every day a team manages to deal a retired player for draft compensation, but here we are.
Waller and a conditional 2027 seventh-rounder are headed to South Beach in exchange for a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick. The bigger surprise might not be that the Giants moved a retired player, but that they actually got something back for him. Hats off to Joe Schoen for getting it done—and for riding the coattails of the Jonnu Smith trade to Pittsburgh.
Waller’s tenure with the G-Men wasn’t anything to write home about. He ended his lone season with 52 receptions for 552 yards and one touchdown. He battled injuries throughout the year, which ultimately led to him hanging up his cleats for a... potential music career. Maybe?
Waller has since spoken out about his decision to retire, citing frustration with his role in the organization, a fading desire to play, and some off-field issues as contributing factors. And while any of those reasons would be valid, former New York great Plaxico Burress believes he knows the real reason Waller walked away the first time — and it’s not one Waller gave directly.
Plaxico Burress points the finger at Daboll in Darren Waller retirement take
Burress offered a blunt take on Waller’s retirement during an appearance on the Up on Game podcast, pointing the finger at the team’s situation, not just Waller’s own:
"I think it had more to do with a lot of things that he had going on outside of football, and I don't really think he wanted to be here in New York playing for Brian Daboll. I really, honestly believe that," he said. "It wasn't a good situation. Daniel Jones is at quarterback; they weren't using him as a tight end, which is what they brought him here for."
That might sound harsh, but it’s not without basis. Daboll's offenses haven't necessarily been world-beaters in East Rutherford. At times, they're borderline unwatchable. Waller wasn't putting up the numbers he wanted, and he was forced to be more of an in-line tight end than his desired move tight end position. It's not hard to see why he might want to ditch that sitch.
But let's not ignore the other half of the picture here.
Waller’s production had been slipping long before he got to New York. After back-to-back monster seasons in 2019 and 2020—where he topped 1,100 yards in both—his numbers steadily declined. In 2021, he posted 665 yards in 11 games. The year after, it was just 388 in nine. Injuries kept piling up, and by the time the G-Men made the trade, he hadn’t looked like the same player in years.
That trend didn’t reverse in East Rutherford. He missed time again, struggled to find rhythm in the offense, and was never quite the matchup nightmare New York was hoping for. It was a swing from Schoen, but one that never connected.
Now, with Waller heading to Miami, the book officially closes on his Giants tenure. Whatever happened behind the scenes—whether it was Daboll, injuries, or just bad timing—it’s clear this was not going to work. Waller may have already been on the decline, but nothing about his time in New York helped slow that down.
If anything, Burress didn’t miss the mark—he just said what everyone else was thinking.