While things have been far from perfect for NY Giants general manager Joe Schoen this offseason, he got some great news recently with the return of wideout Darius Slayton. Slayton, unhappy with his contract, had been away from the team, but he's now back on the field for OTAs.
That's one veteran who is no longer missing in action - so, when will we find out about another? As you already know, Darren Waller can't seem to decide if he wants to play in 2024 or retire. This is a decision he's been mulling over ever since the 2023 campaign came to a close. So, what will the former Pro Bowler end up doing?
Brian Daboll: When Darren Waller makes his decision, that's what we'll go with. https://t.co/U5VonctoP1
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 24, 2024
Will Darren Waller follow Darius Slayton in returning to the NY Giants?
The Giants are still in their voluntary offseason program, but a mandatory minicamp is on the way come June 11. It will run for two days. The question begs, will Waller report to East Rutherford for the two-day session, or is he still going to be MIA?
Head man Brian Daboll has said that there's no rush for Waller to make a decision and that he's going to keep everything on the matter internal. However, at some point, when will the Giants and Schoen make the call for him? NY can't afford to just sit around and wait forever. A June 1 release is something to keep an eye on.
The hope was that Waller would make a retirement decision by the start of the NFL Draft, but that didn't happen. Keep in mind the G-Men used their fourth-round pick on Penn State TE Theo Johnson - some quality insurance if you ask us.
Last season, Waller had a bit of an up-and-down Year 1 with New York. He posted 52 receptions for 552 yards and only one touchdown, while also missing five games due to a hamstring injury. It was not the debut campaign in East Rutherford that Big Blue supporters had in mind for the stud pass-catcher.
Now, it's totally up in the air if Waller is going to be back this fall or not. When healthy, he has proven he's one of the best tight ends in the game, but all the injuries have taken a bit of a toll on his mental health.
Waller himself has admitted that he's unsure if his heart will be 100 percent all the way in on playing, which is of course needed to play at a high level. Soon enough, we hope to find out what he decides, but all the focus is on him now that Slayton is no longer holding out.