Darren Waller is back in the NFL, and back in the spotlight once again, though not exactly for the right reasons.
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Earlier this month, the Pro Bowl tight end officially unretired after the Miami Dolphins traded for him in a deal with the New York Giants. The news unsurprisingly turned plenty of heads, as Waller had seemingly walked away from football last year, citing lost passion and a serious medical scare. He was also going through a divorce with WNBA star Kelsey Plum. But as it turns out, there was more to his sudden exit.
In a candid interview, Waller admitted that his decision to retire was sparked mid-game in Week 6 against the Buffalo Bills, when he found himself stuck in a role that made him question everything.
“We were running like this counter-lead running play, and I’m kind of like leading through the hole like I’m a fullback,” Waller recalled. “I sit down on the sideline after a drive where we ran it like three times, and I’m like, ‘What the fu*k am I doing with my life? I’m out here playing fullback. I don’t even wanna do this sh*t anymore.’”
But stepping away from football didn’t mean stepping out of the spotlight. Waller shifted his focus to his long-simmering rap career and dove headfirst into music. In fact, he’s been steadily building his catalog. He’s released three EPs so far, blending hip-hop and introspection through songs rooted in themes of self-worth, addiction recovery, and emotional growth.
Even after announcing his NFL comeback, Waller’s rap career isn’t slowing down. Just days before news of his unretirement broke, he dropped a new single, “Choose Myself,” with producer and vocalist JRod.
The song, featured on their upcoming collaborative EP Cadillac Problems, revolves around choosing self-care and personal growth in a world that often encourages escapism through destructive habits.
“‘Choose Myself’ is a record that came from a conversation we were having in my backyard about self-care,” Waller explained. “In my verses, I challenge people to view self-care as a vehicle to deeper healing and growth rather than an opportunity to escape through the socially accepted vices we run to.”
JRod echoed the message, describing the track as “freeing, vulnerable & speaks to the soul.”
TRENDING: New #Dolphins tight end Darren Waller is still continuing his career as a RAPPER and his football career.
Waller recently dropped a new song called “Choose Myself.”
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) July 6, 2025
Despite its introspective message, the track’s reception has been extremely poor. In fact, its official lyric video barely crossed 1,400 views in 11 days, and fan reactions have been… less than kind.
“Buddy just needs to stick to football,” wrote a fan. “Watching Darren Waller shows that we’re never done growing,” bluntly joked another.
“Please don’t,” begged a user, which pretty much summed up the general consensus.
“Time spent rapping is time not spent in football preparation. I don’t expect too much from him,” another “X” user criticised.
That said, no matter the chatter, Darren Waller’s story remains one-of-a-kind because balancing an NFL comeback with a still-active music career is a rarity. So whether his rap career ever catches fire or not, the new Dolphins player is clearly determined to keep pursuing both passions on his own terms. And you can’t hate that!
