Just because Darren Waller has decided to hang up his cleats and call it a career, that doesn't mean he's not going to be following things closely for the NY Giants this season. Waller made the tough decision to retire, citing his mental health as a priority.
Now that he's enjoying life away from massive tacklers trying to bring him down, Waller will have the opportunity to catch the action from a different viewpoint. And in 2024, he's ready to see what quarterback Daniel Jones can get done with this team. While speaking with SiriusXM NFL Radio, Waller didn't hesitate in saying that Jones gets a bad rap and that he thinks a bounce-back year could be on the way for him:
Former TE Darren Waller on his decision to retire and what he expects out of @Giants QB Daniel Jones this season...
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) July 20, 2024
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Darren Waller has full faith in Daniel Jones as the NY Giants quarterback
"I'm just excited for him to get another opportunity, man, because I feel like he gets a bad rap. In 2022, he played such good football. Last year was his first opportunity to get out there and play on the new bag that he got and you know it was tough for our side of the offense to protect him. You can't put any quarterback back there and not have any protection and expect them to really truly thrive in the pocket. Hoping they can get those things shored up and allow him to have the opportunity to show that he's a talented dude. "Darren Waller on Daniel Jones
Jones played in only six games last season, tossing for two touchdowns and six interecptions. He missed multiple games with a neck injury and then he was lost for the rest of the campaign after suffering a torn ACL against the Raiders in Sin City.
The former No. 6 overall pick has been on his grind in his recovery and he's all set to take the field for the start of training camp soon. He's not going to have Waller out there to throw to, but the addition of Malik Nabers can't be overstated - Nabers is going to be a stud for this offense.
Countless people have written him off, but there are also plenty of people in East Rutherford and outside of the area who still believe in Danny Dimes to deliver for Big Blue. Waller has an incredible amount of respect for him and he's ready to see Jones do his thing this fall for Brian Daboll.