Darren Waller Still Undecided About His Football Future
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller is no closer to deciding on his football future this week than he was after the 2023 season when thoughts of retirement first crept into his mind.
Speaking to The Athletic [subscription required], Waller confirmed that he's still undecided, adding, “It’s really the idea of signing up for another journey. It’s tough, it’s long, it requires a lot. And if you’re not fully bought into every single thing of the process, it’s going to be tough. I feel like, at the end of the day, you’re doing guys a disservice if you’re not all the way in. So those are the kinds of things I’m taking into account.”
Waller has been trying to get his music career off the ground after recently releasing an album. He said that the Giants have been patient with him as he works through all he needs to, but he also understands that he can't drag the decision out indefinitely. That said, he also told The Athletic that he doesn’t expect to decide before the start of free agency next week.
The Giants have not publicly addressed the possibility of Waller's retiring, but they are also preparing for the eventual parting, as Waller, even if he returned this season, would probably be in his final year with the Giants anyway.
New York has been exploring additional depth at the tight end position, including prospective free agents and draft picks.
The problem, though, with Waller's not having reached a decision is two-fold. First, there is a matter of nearly $7 million in additional cap space the Giants would have available to use starting next week when free agency begins.
The Giants, whom Waller said didn't put an ultimatum on him, cannot allow Waller to delay a decision indefinitely. Yes, it makes them look like the good guys, but at the same time, it impacts business. If general manager Joe Schoen wants to be aggressive in free agency, every available dollar before resorting to contract restructures helps.
The other question that needs to be answered is whether Waller has been attacking his off-season training with the same intensity despite his retirement thoughts.
That's an important question because if Waller is contemplating walking away, he might not be motivated to train as needed, so he'd be ready for the start of a new season.
Waller, however, told The Athletic that "it’s still possible he could become fully invested in committing to another season."
If he is, he better decide soon and preferably before free agency.
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