Darren Waller Injury: Ends season on IR

The Dolphins placed Waller (groin) on injured reserve Friday.

Waller could not get on the practice field in any capacity throughout Week 18 prep, and he'll now move to IR in advance of Sunday's season finale against the Patriots. The veteran tight end thus wraps his comeback campaign, having come out of retirement to play for the Dolphins in 2025, with 24 catches for 283 yards and six touchdowns (on 34 targets) across nine regular-season appearances. While Waller's overall production doesn't jump off the page, when healthy he showcased playmaking ability and a capacity to thrive in the red zone that should appeal to multiple offenses across the league. That said, Waller played out 2025 on a one-year, $2 million deal with Miami and now is set to hit free agency, and it remains to be seen whether the 33-year-old tight end will even decide to return for another NFL season. Greg Dulcich will operate as the top pass-catching tight end for rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers in Week 18 with Waller unavailable.