It was a heartwarming return to the gridiron for Darren Waller as he finally made his debut for the Miami Dolphins in Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season.
As they faced off against a divisional rival in the New York Jets, the 0-3 Dolphins needed a spark to turn their season around. Perhaps that arrived in the form of Waller, as the offense looked like a different beast altogether through the first half.
The former Pro Bowler played a major part in that turnaround, as he was wildly productive in his first action as a member of the organization. When he recorded his first touchdown in close to two years, it immediately brought back a face from his past, as former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden shared his excitement on social media at seeing his former player back in action.
Darren Waller Makes His Old Coach Proud
It has been a long road back to the NFL for Waller, who announced his retirement near the end of the 2023 NFL season while he was still a member of the New York Giants. A sixth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2015, it wasn’t until he joined the Raiders that Waller truly found his footing.
Through his first four seasons, including his first year with the organization, he had less than 200 receiving yards to his credit. However, those numbers changed dramatically in 2019 when he was turned loose in the offense.
Suddenly emerging as one of the best tight ends in the league, Waller tallied 1,145 and 1,196 receiving yards in consecutive seasons, earning the lone Pro Bowl selection of his career.
Unfortunately, that was the high point of his career, with injuries forcing him to miss time over the next three seasons. The physical problems ultimately led to him calling it quits and sitting out the entirety of the 2024 season.
As he chose to make his comeback this season, he found his way to the Dolphins roster. However, his debut for the franchise had to be delayed due to a hip injury that had been plaguing him since training camp.
In his first action as a member of the Dolphins against the Jets, though, the results were immediate.
Targeted twice by Tua Tagovailoa, he hauled in both receptions for 18 yards, with the second catch leading to his first touchdown in two years as the Miami ended the half up by a 10-3 score.
DARREN FREAKIN’ WALLER!!!
LOVE YOU, BROTHER 🏈❤️ pic.twitter.com/XUHsZTIymQ
— Jon Gruden (@BarstoolGruden) September 29, 2025
A return to the limelight for Waller left his former coach overjoyed, as Gruden took to X to celebrate, writing, “DARREN FREAKIN’ WALLER!!! LOVE YOU, BROTHER.” It was a sentiment shared across the NFL landscape, as a veteran of the game was back doing what he does best.
