Darren Waller Speaks on Three-Year, $51M Contract Extension
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller was signed to a three-year, $51 million contract extension on Saturday, a deal that had been long-anticipated by Raider Nation throughout the summer.
It was a rewarding offer for a player who has battled all sorts of adversity throughout his football journey.
The signing came just before the star tight end's first game of the 2022-23 NFL season.
"It's kind of hard to put into words," Waller said in a video from Raiders.com. "It's been a very long journey. A lot of ups and downs. I'm just grateful to be here, grateful to be a part of this team, organization for a long time to come."
Waller is known for giving back to the Las Vegas community throughout his tenure with the franchise.
"Raider Nation, I'm going to be here a lot longer," Waller said. "You all stuck with me for a few years now. I'm excited to be here. I love the city, love the fanbase, love the team. I'm always going to give everything I got [and] try to be the best version of me I can every day; not only for myself, but for all of you, so let's go. Let's get it."
Waller, a one-time Pro Bowler, had his two best NFL seasons in 2019 and 2020 when he led the Raiders in receiving with 1,145 receiving yards and 1,196 receiving yards, respectively.
The soon-to-be 30-year-old tight end recorded 79 yards on just four receptions in Las Vegas' Week 1 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
Prior to the contest, Waller had only appeared in one game (the Raiders' postseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals) since last Thanksgiving due to injury.
This contract extension says that Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler and the rest of the organization believe Waller can continue to extend his prime and return to the dominant offensive piece he was prior to his injury-riddled 2021-22 campaign.
Week 1 was a promising first showing for the fifth-year Raider.
Waller, along with the rest of his teammates, has a lot more work to do to reach his full potential, and his extension should be the ultimate confidence boost to get him back to where he wants to be.
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