Ex-Raiders TE Darren Waller explains what was behind decision to retire

Former Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller, who was most recently with the New York Giants , decided to hang up his cleats this offseason following eight seasons in the NFL.

Waller's story is truly remarkable. After battling drug addiction early in his career, Waller turned things around after joining the Raiders and became one of the best players at his position in the league.

However, after two straight seasons with over 1,100 yards for the Raiders, injuries began to pile up and hindered him over the final three campaigns of his career, including in 2023 during his first season with the Giants.

Waller was recently a guest on the "Ross Tucker Podcast" and revealed that injuries played a part in his decision to retire. But he also admitted he simply couldn't give 100 percent of himself to the game anymore.

“I came to my decision in the summer, but evaluating through most of the offseason, I was leaning towards retiring the whole way,” he said. “I was just trying to evaluate whether this is a little premature, or is this emotional due to frustrations with the game, or is this kind of true burnout?

“I gave it all that I had and played honestly longer than I may have wanted to because, when you’re in your prime, there’s pressure to continue and to try to find new levels of greatness. There were a lot of things considered, but I realized that, just purely to the game and the process of football and all that it requires, I don’t have 100% to give to that. I don’t think I have close to 100% to give that, and I don’t think that’s fair to the people who love watching me play, the teams that I played for, and the guys I lined up with. I don’t think it’s fair to them or myself.”

Before his stints with the Raiders and Giants, Waller entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2015. He finishes his career with 4,124 receiving yards, 20 touchdowns, and one Pro Bowl appearance