MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Tight end Darren Waller made an immediate and impactful return to the NFL on Monday, catching two touchdowns to help the Miami Dolphins secure a 27-21 victory over the New York Jets. While his performance on just 16 snaps may have surprised onlookers, it was fully expected within the Dolphins’ organization.
When asked if he envisioned such a debut from Waller, who was playing his first game since January 2024, coach Mike McDaniel offered a simple, one-word response: “Yeah.”
Waller’s journey back to the field has been long. After a 2023 season with the New York Giants, he retired the following June and sat out the entire 2024 season. Traded to the Dolphins this offseason, a hip injury then sidelined him for most of training camp and the first three games of the regular season.
McDaniel’s confidence in Waller stemmed not only from his dominant years with the Raiders but also from his recent performance in practice. “You don’t have players play with the expectation of anything but their best,” McDaniel said. “I knew he was fully capable. I just didn’t want to overcook it. He has been a phenomenal contributor to our team… the guys have felt it.”
In 2019 and 2020, Waller’s 197 catches and 2,341 yards were second among all NFL tight ends, trailing only Travis Kelce. His re-emergence is particularly timely for Miami, as the team lost All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill for the remainder of the season to a dislocated knee suffered in Monday’s game.
The 6-foot-6 Waller adds a new size dimension to an offense that has recently featured smaller, speed-based pass-catchers. His first touchdown perfectly illustrated this advantage, as he high-pointed a pass from Tua Tagovailoa over a defender and secured the catch in-bounds.
The play left a significant impression on his quarterback. “The first touchdown throw to him was an eye-opener for me, just given the length that he has,” Tagovailoa said. “That was a trust throw… for him to get up and make a play like that kind of gives me more of an insight of what kind of ball I can throw to him.”
Despite his efficiency, McDaniel confirmed the team will not go from “zero to 60” with Waller’s workload against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The tight end, who finished with three catches for 27 yards and a crucial third-down conversion, emerged from the game healthy after a week of limited practices.
For Waller, the successful return helped erase any uncertainty after his long layoff.
“It’s human to have some uncertainty having not just been in the line of fire with the bullets flying,” Waller said. “From the first third down of the game, just being able to line up and beat man coverage and win—it’s like your body and nervous system kind of remembers what it feels like to get out there and compete. It feels good to get back in the mix and know that I’m still capable of being one of the guys on offense that the team can lean on.”
Source link
