Darren Waller has announced that he’ll be retiring from the NFL. He spent the previous five seasons with the Raiders. Waller had a pair of 1,000-yard receiving seasons for the Raiders and made the Pro Bowl in 2020, when he had 107 catches which was a franchise record and 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns.
Darren Waller officially has announced his retirement from the NFL. pic.twitter.com/LECjWkSjAn
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 9, 2024
“Eternally grateful for the game of football. I wouldn’t be able to have this conversation or to think things through or be self-reflective if it wasn’t for an opportunity to save my life and go to rehab, which the NFL offered me,” he said. “They also gave me an opportunity to reestablish myself, to come back into the world and do something productive. Provide an example, be a leader, be a difference-maker in my craft but also in my day-to-day wherever I go.”
Passion gone
But this offseason he has kept busy working on his music. He released a new song last month and he said in an interview with The Athletic he was questioning his “commitment level” to football. He had seemed to be leaning in the direction of retirement, which the Giants knew dating back to January. Waller and Las Vegas Aces star Kelsey Plum filed for divorce last month after being married for a year.
Multiple injuries has derailed Wallers past few seasons. Mentally that has taken a toll on the former pro bowl tight end. Waller spoken very bravely about his addiction issues that he had due to him taking pain pills. He spoke about his experience to be able to help anyone that was going through a similar situation. That could very well be his lasting legacy in the NFL.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
