Darren Waller Surprisingly Comes Out Of Retirement To Play For The Miami Dolphins

New York Giants tight end Darren Waller (12) goes up over Buffalo Bills cornerback Taron Johnson (7) but can t make the catch on the last play of the game the would have won the game for New York. Instead the Bills held on to win 14-9 | Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

There was a big surprise in the NFL this morning.

According to multiple reports, former All-Pro tight end Darren Waller is coming out of retirement and is being traded to the Miami Dolphins for a 2026 6th round pick. Waller last played for the New York Giants before deciding to enter retirement last summer. Waller of course was a former wide receiver at Georgia Tech before becoming one of the best tight ends in the NFL.

Surprise! The #Dolphins are finalizing a trade with the #Giants for former Pro Bowl TE Darren Waller, who is coming out of retirement to play in Miami, per sources.

A fascinating twist for Waller, who retired last summer, and a new weapon for a team that just traded Jonnu Smith. pic.twitter.com/MDO2XnHClb

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 1, 2025

In his last season with the New York Giants, Waller caught 52 passes for 552 yards and one touchdown.

Waller had been a member of the Raiders organization since 2018 after being drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2015.

For his career, Waller has surpassed 4,100 yards receiving, 20 touchdowns, and 350 catches. He has been one of the best-receiving threats in the NFL and is a consistent matchup problem on Sundays when healthy.

Waller played at Georgia Tech from 2012 to 2014 under Paul Johnson, and in that time, he totaled 51 catches for 971 yards and nine touchdowns. 

The Miami Dolphins have been an active team in the past couple of days, making big moves such as trading cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers for All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is one of the top offensive minds in the NFL and Waller could be in for a really big season. With elite wide receivers such as Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle on the outside, Waller could have some advantageous coverages come in his way and some favorable matchups. At his peak, he was one of the biggest mismatches in the NFL and he is going to be looking to get back to that form in Miami. Let's see what the former Yellow Jacket can do.