The Dolphins have taken an unexpected route to find a new veteran tight end. A trade agreement is in place with the Giants for Miami to acquire Darren Waller, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Waller is coming out of retirement to head to Miami. New York still holds his rights, requiring this swap to take place. The former Pro Bowler only intended to resume his playing career if he could do so with the Dolphins, Pelissero adds. That will indeed be the case. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Miami will receive Waller and a conditional seventh-round pick in exchange for a conditional sixth-rounder in 2026.
Acquired via trade from the Raiders, Waller faced high expectations upon arrival with the Giants. The former sixth-rounder wound up only playing one season in New York, however. Retirement was brought up on more than one occasion, and last June Waller officially decided to hang up his cleats. That move – which came in the wake of a frightening health episode in November 2023 – created cap savings for the Giants but the team did not deal away his rights at any point. Two years remained on Waller’s contract at the time of his retirement, but Pelissero notes he will ink a restructured pact heavy on incentives as part of this trade.
Providing details on that point, Schefter adds this will be a one-year deal worth up to $5MM via incentives. Waller will now aim to provide his new team with a veteran pass-catching option in the wake of Jonnu Smith being dealt to the Steelers yesterday. The Dolphins were in the market for a tight end as a result, but this move is certainly not the one many would have expected.
More to come…