In a shocking development, Darren Waller has come out of retirement after being traded to the Miami Dolphins. After dealing star cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday, Miami continues to stay active. In the past 24 hours, the Dolphins have sent Ramsey and Jonnu Smith to the Steelers while acquiring Minkah Fitzpatrick and now a 2020 Pro Bowl tight end.
NFL Fans Are Stunned by Darren Waller’s Decision to Come Out of Retirement to Join Miami Dolphins
Waller spent his first two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens before playing most of his career for the Las Vegas Raiders. In 2023, he saw a boost in receptions and receiving yards with the New York Giants, but it wasn’t enough to keep him from stepping away from the game. Now, the 2015 sixth-round pick is coming back after being surprisingly traded to a team that just moved on from a tight end of their own.
One of the first responses, “Was the rap career not taking off?” was a jab at Waller, who struggled to get his music career off the ground. “Bro Daniel Jones really just killed this man’s drive to play football,” one fan said as they reacted to the news.
was the rap career not taking off? https://t.co/J8lujLU7rH
— el Jefé (@JefePil) July 1, 2025
Many were left speechless as this fan proclaimed, “I honestly thought this was a fake tweet at first”. Given the numerous parody accounts out there, it was surprising to see Tom Pelissero come forward with the announcement.
I honestly thought this was a fake tweet at first. https://t.co/5uYKdPhPvi
— Anthony DiBona (@DiBonaNFL) July 1, 2025
In a wild series of trades, this fan said, “Two days in a row the Dolphins acquire a player that I wouldn’t have guessed in 1,000 tries, lmao.”
Another added, “This week cannot possibly get any weirder.”
A Giants fan commented, “Gotta love free draft picks” as the team received a conditional 2026 sixth-round draft pick for Waller and a 2027 seventh-rounder.
Someone else chimed in, “Coming out of retirement with a history of concussions to go catch hospital balls over the middle from Tua, that rap career must’ve been failing at a never before seen level man.”
Waller is set to report to Miami. He hasn’t played in a game since the Giants’ 27-10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Jan. 7, 2024. His career ended with back-to-back games of five receptions, though he recorded just one touchdown during the 2023 season.
The 32-year-old had a pair of 1,000-yard seasons during his time with the Raiders from 2019 to 2020.
