Tight end Darren Waller is coming out of retirement to join the Miami Dolphins after the team traded away Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith on Monday. The 32-year-old former Pro Bowler retired just one season ago but will now fill Miami’s immediate need at the position as general manager Chris Grier and the front office look to bounce back from a disappointing 2024 campaign.
Darren Waller Returns From Retirement in Trade With Miami Dolphins
NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday morning that Waller is part of a trade between the Dolphins and New York Giants. The move comes as a surprise given Waller’s retirement announcement last summer after spending one season in New York.
Surprise! The #Dolphins are finalizing a trade with the #Giants for former Pro Bowl TE Darren Waller, who is coming out of retirement to play in Miami, per sources.
A fascinating twist for Waller, who retired last summer, and a new weapon for a team that just traded Jonnu Smith. pic.twitter.com/MDO2XnHClb
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 1, 2025
Miami receives a proven veteran who posted back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons during his prime with the Las Vegas Raiders. Waller’s best campaign came in 2020 when he caught 107 passes for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns. That performance earned him Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors while setting a franchise record for receptions in a season by a tight end. Brock Bowers has since broken that mark with 112 catches in 2024.
The timing works perfectly for Miami, which needed to replace Smith’s production after sending him to Pittsburgh as part of the blockbuster trade that also involved cornerback Jalen Ramsey and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Waller Contract Details, Career Earnings
The trade sends a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick to New York in exchange for Waller and a 2027 seventh-round selection. NFL insider Adam Schefter reports that Waller has agreed to a one-year deal with Miami worth up to $5 million.
Trade: Dolphins are trading a conditional 2026 sixth to the New York Giants for a 2027 seventh-round pick and Darren Waller.
Waller is coming out of retirement after agreeing to a one-year deal with the Dolphins worth up to $5 million, per Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 1, 2025
The new contract adds to Waller’s already substantial career earnings. The 6-foot-6 tight end started slowly in Baltimore, earning less than $600,000 over his first four NFL seasons. After his rookie deal, Waller signed with the Raiders in 2018 on a two-year contract worth $675,000 annually.
His breakout 2019 season changed everything as he eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for the first time. The performance led to a four-year extension with Las Vegas that paid him $7.45 million per season. Waller then signed his largest contract in 2022, a three-year, $51 million extension that made him one of the highest-paid tight ends in the league.
Throughout his eight-year career, Waller has earned more than $42 million. Now the Georgia Tech product gets another chance to prove his worth in Miami as the Dolphins try to return to playoff contention after missing the postseason in 2024.
