Retired New York Giants star reveals he decided to quit NFL midway through a 2023 game

By JAKE FENNER

The question of when to retire is one that NFL players often debate to themselves. For one player, that answer came in the middle of a game.

On a recent appearance on the ‘The Side You Don’t See’ podcast, former NFL tight end Darren Waller opened up about his thought process in hanging up the cleats. 

Waller – a former Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders, and New York Giants tight end – revealed that he came to that conclusion in the midst of an early season game.

The Georgia Tech product said that it was in the middle of a game he played for the New York Giants in October of 2023, when he played the Buffalo Bills.

‘It was in the first quarter of the game,’ Waller said on the podcast. ‘We were running like this counter-lead running play, and I’m kind of like leading through the hole like I’m a fullback. 

‘And the play is working, but I sit down on the sideline after a drive where we ran it like three times and I’m like, “What the f–k am I doing with my life? I’m out here playing fullback. I don’t even want to do this s*** anymore.”‘

Former Giants tight end Darren Waller revealed he decided to retire in the middle of a game

Waller was playing for the Giants when he decided to retire after the 2023 season ended

Waller eventually announced his retirement in April after the Giants drafted another tight end

Adding insult to injury, that game ended in a 14-9 loss for the Giants when quarterback Tyrod Taylor threw an attempt towards Waller which would’ve been a walk-off touchdown. It fell one yard short of the receiver.

Waller’s mind may have been elsewhere, as he further indicated that nothing was going to change his mind. 

‘I’m just like looking at the moon,’ Waller said. ‘It’s like early first quarter, second quarter. Nobody else would even really know that I’m thinking this. 

‘But I’m on the sideline like, “Yup, I’m going to finish this year to the best of my ability, but I’m definitely done playing after this year.”‘

One week later, Waller would score his only touchdown with the Giants against the Washington Commanders.

Later in that season, Waller would suffer a hand injury before going through a ‘near-death experience’ in a hotel room on the road. He recalled having trouble breathing, ‘shaking uncontrollably’ and then ‘losing consciousness’.

Waller played the last four games of the 2023 season while deflecting questions about his plans for his future career. However, the New York Post reported that he informed the team that he was considering retirement back in January.

After months of contemplation and the Giants drafting a tight end in April of 2024, Waller announced his retirement.

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Retired New York Giants star reveals he decided to quit NFL midway through a 2023 game

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