When the Miami Dolphins traded away Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith this offseason, they lost a key piece of their dynamic offense. But rather than a slow rebuild, Miami decided to write one of the league’s most notable comeback stories with the return of tight end Darren Waller.
Since Waller’s retirement from the New York Giants back in 2023, after an injury-filled season that left him with only 552 yards and one touchdown in 12 games, he has used his time away to grow both physically and mentally.
“With getting back into the training and everything, there’s certain ways you can’t always predict how your body will respond from having time away,” Waller said in a training-camp interview in Miami Gardens. “Most instances, my body responded well. In some ways, it didn’t. So, it was just like being cautious in that way to look at the bigger picture.”
Waller, 32, spent the first four weeks of training camp on the NFL’s physically unable to perform list, as he slowly progressed back into his normal football routine. While he is now listed as “questionable” on the team’s injury report with a hip issue — after being activated ahead of the preseason finale last month — there is a chance fans may be able to see his Dolphins debut in Sunday’s season opener against the Indianapolis Colts.
“It’s not going to be something that you just walk back into,” the 2015 fifth-round pick out of Georgia Tech said. “In some ways, it’s like riding a bike, but in a lot of ways there’s a physical demand. There’s a mental demand, emotional demand that you have to get back used to.”
Still, the time away gave him a new perspective, and he’s reminded himself this summer “to come back with a more open mind [mindset] and gratitude. Sometimes, taking a step back is what you need.”
The Dolphins are putting their money on Waller to get back to the kind of player that made him a top tight end in the NFL. In 2019 and 2020, he finished with 1,145 and 1,196 receiving yards, respectively, with the Las Vegas Raiders, including a franchise-record 107 receptions in 2020.
Throughout his eight-year career, he had 330 receptions, 4,124 yards and 20 touchdowns, making him one of the most valuable players in Miami’s already strong offense.
Waller brings a veteran presence and leadership to the team that balances well with the new wave of talent. Running back Ollie Gordon II is a prime example of a rookie who is quickly learning what it takes to adjust to the NFL level around stars like Waller and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
“Our vets don’t treat us as rookies,” Gordon said, highlighting the culture that players like Waller help create. “The physicality has been the biggest shift. In college, you probably run a couple people over. Here in the league, it’s like you’re at a stalemate.”
That balance between seasoned veterans and hard-working newcomers may be exactly what Miami needs to push further this season. Dolphins fans can head into Week 1 knowing Waller’s comeback could potentially be the piece that ties the team together.
“I’m comfortable until I’m shown a reason not to be comfortable,” Miami coach Mike McDaniel said in regard to the chemistry shown between Waller and Tagovailoa. “And then, with those two guys, and how intentional they are, that just takes one meeting of concerted detail before I think that they will be in step.”
