Parting Ways: Why Trading Veteran Tight End Was the Right Move for the Giants

Tight end Darren Waller decided, as of today, to come out of retirement. He retired last June after playing one season with the New York Giants, whom he had been traded to from the Las Vegas Raiders in March of 2023. That said, he would return to the Giants, but the franchise decided to trade him away to the Miami Dolphins. In this trade, the Giants received a 2026 sixth-round pick from Miami and a conditional 2027 seventh-round pick. This is one of the best things the Giants could have done for their team during their rebuild. 

Waller did not have the best season with the Giants when he was with them. He only appeared in 12 games, recording 52 receptions for 552 yards and one touchdown for New York altogether. This was also during the era of Daniel Jones, when the Giants were struggling in all areas of their team. Waller just wasn’t the guy for them. He was out with issues with his hamstring and had personal issues at the time, too, making it harder for him to focus on playing with the team. At the end of that season, things were more questionable for the franchise because he announced his retirement. It made it harder for them to rely on his team commitment and wait for him to stay healthy. 

The Giants will also have some salary cap relief and financial flexibility now that he has been traded. Waller was set to count $11.6 million against the salary cap in 2024. He frees up more cap space, allowing more moments towards younger talent and offensive help, and giving them more depth in the wide receiver area. The Giants can now avoid having to pay this premium veteran, who is not playing, has only appeared in 12 games total, and has considered retirement from the start. 

Lastly, the Giants have a clear path as to what they want. They want younger guys with younger talent, such as Jaxson Dart and Abdul Carter, the rookies that they drafted earlier this year. They have developed an identity. They can look towards their younger tight end, Daniel Bellinger, who might have his breakout season this coming year. They also add more reps for the younger tight ends without Waller being there. 

The bottom line is that the Giants have gained flexibility and eliminated a hazardous contract. It was not the best decision they made in the past few years, but giving him up couldn’t be better for the team. They are leaning towards fully rebuilding to make themselves Super Bowl stars once again. Waller may have value now in Miami, but for Big Blue, the timing and the trading are just right for the team.