In the NFL, not every trade or free-agent signing works out, and sometimes it takes a parting of ways between a team and a player for things to look better in hindsight, which is happening with Darren Waller and the New York Giants now that their divorce is almost two years in the rearview.
We can't side-step the truth though. Waller was one of the biggest splash trades of the Brian Daboll era, and he was also one of the worst trades the Giants have made in recent memory. He caught just one touchdown in 11 games with them before retiring before un-retiring about 18 months later.
Yeah, that's bad, but this is a grudge Giants fans no longer need to hold. They found their new franchise tight end in Isaiah Likely, and that should make the Waller miss sting a whole lot less. And it's not like D Wall hasn't enjoyed a bit of a career renaissance in the time since he left New York.
The New York Giants and Darren Waller are both better off apart
The 34-year-old spent last season in Miami, where he caught six touchdowns in nine games, but he signed with the Carolina Panthers during training camp. And even though he hasn't been with the reigning NFC South champs for long, he's become a safety valve for Bryce Young in the red zone.
Waller caught three passes for 33 yards and two touchdowns in the Panthers' 34-3 blowout victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, and would have scored another touchdown in Carolina's first drive in their season opener--but it was called back by an offensive pass interference against Waller.
Even though he's only on pace for 510 yards this season, the ex-Pro Bowler is clearly still a solid red zone threat, but that side of him never showed up as a Giant. However, Likely has done a good job himself. He was the main reason they started off the season 1-0 following his two-touchdown game vs. the Cowboys.
But it doesn't end there. After signing a three-year, $40 million deal with the Giants in free agency, Isaiah Likely has been worth every penny so far.
Likely is fifth in tight end receiving yards this season behind Dalton Kincaid, Travis Kelce, Trey McBride, and Juwan Johnson, and his two touchdowns are tied for the most among tight ends (alongside Waller and several others) and now that he's not in Mark Andrews' shadow, he's proving he can be a quality TE1.
The 26-year-old never had more than 500 yards in a season during his four years with John Harbaugh in Baltimore, but the potential was always there. And considering the G-Men have one of the weaker WR rooms in the NFL, he's essentially been the second option in the pass game behind Malik Nabers.
After the failure that was the Darren Waller trade, the New York Giants needed to improve the TE room. That started with Theo Johnson and eventually led them to Isaiah Likely, who has looked like the TE1 they were searching for all along. Waller is scoring touchdowns again, Likely is thriving in New York, and everyone seems better off. We can finally let this grudge go.
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