Sep 13, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller (83) and tight end Foster Moreau (87) celebrate the game victory against the Baltimore Ravens at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
NFL: Baltimore Ravens at Las Vegas Raiders
(New York) — The New York Giants shocked the NFL when they acquired All-Pro tight end Darren Waller from the Las Vegas Raiders Tuesday afternoon.
The Big Blue traded a 2023 third round pick, which was acquired from the Chiefs in the Kadarius Toney trade, for the 30-year-old pass catcher.
The trade comes just 10 days after Waller’s wedding to WNBA Aces guard Kelsey Plum. The timing is rather interesting because Josh McDaniels accidentally leaked the news of his wedding to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine. The tight end was allegedly upset with McDaniels when the Las Vegas Review-Journal posted a story announcing the wedding. The couple had not publicly announced their plans to get married, according to Vid Tafur of the Athletic.
10 days later…you know the rest. While it’s most likely a reach, it’s important to note.
The newly acquired pass catcher has more 1,000+ receiving yards than all other tight ends in Giants history. Waller burst on the scene with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020 but has been hampered by injuries since, playing in just 58% of the Raiders games. He’s under contract through 2026, but the guarantees on his deal run out after next season ($8.25 M).
Waller has proved to be one of the best receiving tight ends in the league when healthy, but staying on the field has proved challenging.
