PUP-P
Injury Undisclosed
Est. Return 8/10/2025
2024 Receiving Stats
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0
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0
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0
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0.0
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0
2025 Projections
2025 Fantasy Outlook
A day after the Dolphins traded TE Jonnu Smith to the Steelers, Waller came out of retirement to become Miami's new No. 1 tight end. It's unclear just what the Dolphins are getting, though, as Waller sat out all last season and will turn 33 in mid-September. He hasn't played a full season since 2020 because of injuries, last suiting up for just 12 games in 2023 with the Giants. If Waller is healthy and able, he should at least get consistent work in the Dolphins' offense. Smith totaled 111 targets last season as Miami utilized a quick passing game to keep pressure of injury-prone Tua Tagovailoa. If the Dolphins stick with that gameplan, Waller perhaps could get about four targets per game with RB De'Von Archer likely sucking up the rest of Smith's leftovers. If that doesn't quite pan out, Waller at least has red-zone upside at 6-foot-6, 245. Read Past Outlooks
Should practice next week
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday that he believes Waller (undisclosed), who remains on the active/PUP list, is roughly one week away from practicing, Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post reports,
ANALYSIS
Waller began training camp on the PUP list for conditioning reasons, a development that isn't exactly surprising given that he spent the 2024 season in retirement. The veteran TE is fully expected to be ready for Week 1, and it'll be encouraging if he indeed retakes the field in time to get multiple full weeks of practicing in before the regular-season opener against Indianapolis on Sept. 7. Due to the 111-target void left by Jonnu Smith's departure, Waller carries upside as a late-round selection in 2025 fantasy drafts, especially due to his 6-foot-6, 245-pound frame and Miami's need for a dominant red-zone target. To open the year as a full-time starter, though, Waller will need to both get into football shape and fully learn McDaniel's intricate offensive scheme.
Waller began training camp on the PUP list for conditioning reasons, a development that isn't exactly surprising given that he spent the 2024 season in retirement. The veteran TE is fully expected to be ready for Week 1, and it'll be encouraging if he indeed retakes the field in time to get multiple full weeks of practicing in before the regular-season opener against Indianapolis on Sept. 7. Due to the 111-target void left by Jonnu Smith's departure, Waller carries upside as a late-round selection in 2025 fantasy drafts, especially due to his 6-foot-6, 245-pound frame and Miami's need for a dominant red-zone target. To open the year as a full-time starter, though, Waller will need to both get into football shape and fully learn McDaniel's intricate offensive scheme.
NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
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Advanced NFL Stats
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2023 NFL Game Log
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2023 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
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How often does Darren Waller run a route when on the field for a pass play?
This data will let you see how Darren Waller and the other tight ends for the Dolphins are being used. Some tight ends may have a lot of snaps, but they're not that useful for fantasy purposes because they're not actually running routes. This data will help you see when this is the case.
61 routes 12 targets
16 routes 4 targets
116 routes 19 targets
Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Darren Waller lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
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2024 Darren Waller Split Stats
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Measurables Review
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How do Darren Waller's measurables compare to other tight ends?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
6' 6"Weight
245 lbs40-Yard Dash
4.46 secShuttle Time
4.25 secCone Drill
7.07 secVertical Jump
37.0 inBroad Jump
125 inBench Press
12 repsPast Fantasy Outlooks
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After deliberating for a few months, Waller announced his retirement in June, three months before his 32nd birthday. If he changes his mind and returns to the Giants, he'll catch passes from Daniel Jones (torn ACL) and/or Drew Lock while competing for targets with rookie sixth overall pick Malik Nabers and 2022 second-round selection Wan'Dale Robinson. Assuming Waller doesn't return, the Giants have Daniel Bellinger and rookie fourth-round pick Theo Johnson as their likely top receiving tight ends, while Jack Stoll and Chris Manhertz are veteran blockers that wouldn't figure to see many targets even if they played a good number of snaps.
More Fantasy News
Expected to be ready for Week 1
Waller (undisclosed), who remains on the active/PUP list Tuesday, is expected to be ready for Week 1 per his agent Drew Rosenhaus, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.
ANALYSIS
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Not in football shape yet
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Monday that Waller (undisclosed) is in "tremendous shape" but not "football shape," Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Being eased back by Dolphins
Coach Mike McDaniel noted Wednesday that Waller's placement on the PUP list is standard procedure for players coming out of retirement, Travis Wingfield of the Dolphins' official site reports.
ANALYSIS
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Begins camp on PUP list
The Dolphins placed Waller (undisclosed) on the active/PUP list Tuesday.
ANALYSIS
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Out of retirement, dealt to Miami
Waller is coming out of retirement and was acquired by the Dolphins in a trade with the Giants on Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Surprisingly unretires Tuesday
Waller, who'd announced his retirement from the NFL in June 2024, will return to play in 2025 with the Dolphins, Adam Schefter and Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN report.
ANALYSIS
Waller will be traded to the Dolphins from the Giants, who still held his rights, along with a conditional 2027 seventh-round pick in exchange for a sixth-round pick. He had opted to retire after just one season in New York, during which he recorded 52 receptions for 552 yards and one touchdown across 12 regular-season games. The veteran tight end has past experience with Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith, who was his position coach with the Raiders during the 2018-20 seasons that constituted the most productive period of Waller's career to date.
Waller will be traded to the Dolphins from the Giants, who still held his rights, along with a conditional 2027 seventh-round pick in exchange for a sixth-round pick. He had opted to retire after just one season in New York, during which he recorded 52 receptions for 552 yards and one touchdown across 12 regular-season games. The veteran tight end has past experience with Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith, who was his position coach with the Raiders during the 2018-20 seasons that constituted the most productive period of Waller's career to date.