Darren Waller to be Highest Paid TE?
Over the course of the offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders have made a concerted effort to lock up core players to new contracts.
Quarterback Derek Carr, wide receivers Hunter Renfrow and Davante Adams and defensive end Maxx Crosby all signed contract extensions over the past several months.
One name that hasn't been extended so far is tight end Darren Waller, but it looks like that could change in the near future.
That comes after it was reported by CBS Sports NFL Insider Josina Anderson that Waller and the Raiders were discussing a deal that would make him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL.
That deal would likely average $16 million a year, with San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle currently the leader in that category, averaging $15 million on his contract.
If the deal comes to fruition, all of the Raiders stars on offense would be under contract together for the next several seasons.
It can be seen as a long-time coming for Waller, who had been long outperforming his current contract.
Questions had been prominent surrounding Waller's contract status entering training camp, but Waller never went the route of holding out or publicly campaigning for a raise.
In the end, he'll still get the deal that he's been looking for, and the Raiders will have one of the best tight ends in the NFL to rely on for years.
Waller caught 197 passes combined between 2019 and 2020, finishing with over 1,100 receiving yards in each of those seasons.
Even last year, when Waller missed six games due to injury, he still ranked fifth among tight ends in receiving yards per game with 60.5.
Now in an offense surrounded by the most talent he's seen in his career, Waller will have the opportunity to reach career-high levels.
It works out even better for him that the orchestrator of that offense, Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels, has a history of maximizing talented tight ends.
Waller is arguably the best one he's coached since Rob Gronkowski with the New England Patriots.
Considering how successful that pairing was, it only makes the future seem brighter for Waller.
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