The Las Vegas Raiders helped Darren Waller turn into a star.
Years later, Waller is making a shock comeback from retirement to go play elsewhere in the AFC.
The New York Giants officially held his rights, but upon Waller's return from retirement, they traded him to the Miami Dolphins to gain a sixth-round draft pick.
In Miami, Waller is signing a one-year, $5 million deal.
Waller hasn't played since 2023 with the Giants.
His best NFL years came with the Raiders. In 2019, he had 90 catches for 1,145 yards and three TDs.
His career year came in 2020: 107 catches, 1,196 yards, nine TDs.
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Waller would have 665 yards in 11 games for the Raiders in 2021, then last just nine games in 2022.
He left for the Giants in 2023, and in 12 games, he caught 52 passes for 552 yards.
Waller will turn 33 years old on Sept. 13.
The 6-foot-6 tight end should at minimum still be a strong red zone target.
The Dolphins needed him to replace Jonnu Smith, who was traded to Pittsburgh.
It's not clear what Waller has left in the tank, but at his peak he was a fantastic athlete for the tight end position. If he has even a little bit of that left, it'll be a cool move by the Dolphins to try and revitalize his NFL career.
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