4 recent NY Giants players who never lived up to the hype

1. TE Darren Waller

Darren Waller, who retired this offseason after just one season in New York, was the most recent player to never live up to the hype. The Giants traded the third-round pick acquired in the Toney deal to acquire the former Raiders tight end. Waller came to New York as a former Pro Bowler who had previously played with the Baltimore Ravens and the Raiders. The veteran pass-catcher had back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons in '19 and '20 with the Raiders. The Giants were excited about finally giving Daniel Jones a reliable pass-catcher in 2023, but that would not be the case.

Waller totaled 52 receptions, 552 yards, and one touchdown in 12 games this past year. The veteran missed a significant amount of time due to injuries, which was something the Giants knew they were getting when they traded for Waller. He only played two full seasons in his professional career, the only two times he exceeded 1,000 receiving yards. Unfortunately for the G-Men, they would not get what they were looking for from the TE.

After the 2023 season, Waller actively pursued his music career and hinted at retiring. He released a music video that was a personal reflection of his divorce from Las Vegas Aces star Kelsey Plum. The video sparked a lot of conversation, as many Giants fans continued questioning whether Waller would be suiting up for Big Blue in the near future.

On June 9, Giants fans received the news that Waller would indeed be retiring from the league after just one season with the team. Similar to Golladay, this was more of a what-if scenario. Waller was a proven, experienced TE when he got to New York, but he never lived up to the hype because of the injuries he faced last year. The Giants will be looking for Daniel Bellinger and 2024 fourth-round pick Theo Johnson to step up and take on the TE1 job in 2024.