Darren Waller trade: Tight end to come out of retirement as Giants send former Pro Bowler to Dolphins

When the Miami Dolphins traded tight end Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday, it was reported that they had already engaged with teams on potentially trading for his replacement. However, not many expected the Dolphins to trade for a player who had recently retired.

According to NFL Media, the Dolphins are finalizing a trade with the New York Giants for tight end Darren Waller. Miami is giving up a 2026 sixth-round pick, along with a conditional 2027 seventh-round pick for the former Pro Bowl pass-catcher. Waller made the surprising decision to retire at 31 last year following his one season with the Giants. Since New York still owned his rights, Miami had to give up compensation to acquire him.

Waller caught just 52 passes for 552 yards and one touchdown in 12 games with the Giants in 2023, but he was viewed as one of the best tight ends in the league during his time with the Las Vegas Raiders. He put together back-to-back 1,100-yard campaigns beginning in 2019, and led all tight ends with 107 catches for 1,196 yards and a career-high nine touchdowns in 2020.