One of the most shocking news stories of the NFL offseason was just announced this morning: Darren Waller is reportedly coming out of retirement and joining the Miami Dolphins.
Advertisement
That’s right, we’re talking about THE Darren Waller… the “Wallerus.” He didn’t play at all in 2024, and most thought he was done with football for good. After stepping away, he tried his hand at rapping, releasing a few tracks following his highly publicized divorce from WNBA star Kelsey Plum. But the music didn’t gain much traction, and he was even criticized online for the effort.
Now, with the 32-year-old tight end seemingly ready to give the NFL another go, Redditors believe the setbacks in his music career, and of course, the emotional toll of his breakup, may be fueling his return to the field.
“Darren Waller must have really hated playing for the Giants,” one commented.
Others suspect that money may have played a part in Waller’s decision to return. “Nah music didn’t blow up and he lost his wife. He need some cash infusion,” a Redditor responded.
“Guy needs some cash after his music career flopped,” another piled on.
Comment
byu/Drexlore from discussion
innfl
Waller married Plum in March of 2023, but they divorced after just 13 months together. Citing issues with codependency and staying motivated in his career, Waller filed for a joint divorce petition with Plum. Both were devastated by the decision, but they knew it was for the best.
Waller actually started his own YouTube channel 5 years ago and released music with videos while he was playing in the NFL. However, after retiring and divorcing Plum, he fell into working on the channel and his music full-time. Initially, his music videos were doing more than 200k views. But his latest ones are struggling to cross the 100k mark.
Fans on Reddit are convinced that that’s the reason why Waller is making an NFL comeback. Maybe his YouTube cash flow slowed down, and without a joint income anymore, he might need the money. It’s a bit of a stretch to assume, though.
One fan on Reddit also pointed out that Waller retired after the Giants tried to use him as a fullback. So now, with a new team, he may be more open to making a return. Just don’t ask him to block again.
“Incoming re-retirement the moment the Dolphins have him block on a running play,” they joked.
All in all, who knows what we’re going to see from Waller now that he’s coming back? This is one of the strangest storylines to hit the NFL offseason. Everyone had written off and forgotten about the Wallerus, but now he’s back and ready to make an impact.
Only time will tell if he can return to Pro Bowl form. Waller posted 1,000-yard receiving seasons in 2019 and 2020, but injuries kept him from continuing that dominance. Still, if there’s one thing we know for certain, it’s that Tua Tagovailoa loves to check down to his tight ends. He turned Jonnu Smith into a Pro Bowler last season, so let’s see what he can turn Waller into.
