Darren Waller's retirement opens the door for New York Giants' young tight ends to play in 2024

The New York Giants have been waiting some time for a major decision from veteran tight end Darren Waller. His choice on retirement became official on Sunday afternoon. He's hanging up his cleats, so he won't return to the Giants.

Giants tight end Darren Waller has retired

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The Giants released a statement regarding Waller shortly after the announcement.

“We have great respect for Darren as a person and player. We wish him nothing but the best.” -- New York Giants statement following his retirement

Now, New York must find a starting tight end elsewhere. They may go sign a veteran to compete for snaps, but their starter is probably already on the roster.

Daniel Bellinger has played well in limited time so far in his young NFL career. Theo Johnson is a rookie TE with some intriguing upside. Both players will have an increased role in 2024 than they may have expected a couple of weeks ago.

Bellinger has totaled 55 catches for 523 receiving yards and two touchdowns over his first two years in NY. He was a larger part of the offense in 2022 compared to last season. As a rookie, he was a first-down machine, reeling in catches for fourteen of them. He can be a legitimate option in the passing game for Daniel Jones or Drew Lock, and his blocking ability has improved.

For Johnson, he's got prototypical size and fun athleticism at the tight end spot. Fans may surprised how fluid of a mover he is once they see him on the field. I expect that he will have a solid rookie year after the loss of Waller.

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