Just a day after trading away starting tight end Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a deal that also included Jalen Ramsey going to Pittsburgh and Minkah Fitzpatrick returning, the Miami Dolphins have found their new No.1 tight end.
The Dolphins sent a 2026 sixth-round pick to the New York Giants for tight end Darren Waller and a 2027 conditional seventh-round pick. Waller, who called it a career in June 2024, is coming out of retirement after just one year to play in Miami.
Waller was a highly productive player during his day with the Las Vegas Raiders, as he tallied two straight campaigns with over 1,100 receiving yards in 2019 and 2020. However, he hasn’t been the same player since those years, as injuries and inconsistent play have held him back.
The 2020 Pro Bowler was traded to the Giants during the 2023 offseason, but he ended up playing just 12 games for the Giants before retiring ahead of the 2024 season.
Waller is now coming out of retirement to presumably serve as the Dolphins’ starting tight end, giving quarterback Tua Tagovailoa another receiving threat. Let’s see what experts think about the move for Miami and New York.
Darren Waller trade grades
ESPN’s Seth Walder
Dolphins grade: B+ | Giants grade: B
Walder on Dolphins: “After trading Jonnu Smith to the Steelers, the Dolphins were looking at an awfully barren tight end room featuring Julian Hill and Pharaoh Brown. Both players combined for 165 receiving yards and zero touchdowns last season (Brown was with the Seahawks and signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins in March). While Miami surely hopes that Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle receive a higher share of the targets this season, the team needs a tight end to be another receiving option for QB Tua Tagovailoa. Waller, perhaps, could be that. I would certainly temper any major expectations here. Waller is 32 and has been out of the game for a year. The last time he recorded at least 700 receiving yards in a season was in 2020 with the Raiders. But he could easily be the best receiving tight end the Dolphins have, and that’s worth something. Miami also didn’t have to give up much to get Waller. This was just a very late-round pick swap and a deal worth up to $5 million.”
Walder on Giants: “For the Giants, this is found money under the couch cushion. It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing.”
CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin
Dolphins grade: B | Giants grade: C+
Benjamin on Dolphins: “Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has helped oversee some big years from veteran tight ends in both Miami and San Francisco, however, and for the price of a late-round pick swap, with Waller set to play on a one-year, incentive-laden contract, it’s hard to fault the Dolphins for taking the swing. Maybe the year away from the game will actually have Waller slightly refreshed for more pass-catching volume.”
Benjamin on Giants: “This is a classic case of getting what you can for a damaged asset. In fact, it’s a step further: getting something for a nonexistent asset, seeing as Waller was not going to come out of retirement to play for the Giants again. Accordingly, it’s fine to congratulate New York on unloading the veteran’s remaining contract in exchange for a slight upgrade in late-round draft capital. Still, we’re talking about a sixth-round pick in return for a guy who originally cost the Giants a conditional third-rounder, then proceeded to start a grand total of 11 games in New York. This trade does little for the 2025 Giants, if only to let general manager Joe Schoen fully release the failed Waller gamble from his mind. But what are you gonna do? The page was turned on the Waller chapter the minute he hung up the cleats last summer, and even then, he wasn’t guaranteed to be back. So chalk this up to a fine and surprising, if unspectacular, deal for Big Blue.”
MORE: Dolphins predicted to replace Jalen Ramsey with former Patriots, Raiders starter
