Darren Waller was a household name for Raider Nation during his five-year stint with the Oakland and Las Vegas Raiders. His rise from the Baltimore Ravens practice squad to Pro Bowl-level player was a sight to behold, and he'll always be a fan favorite for the Silver and Black.
Of course, his tenure with the team ended unceremoniously under the regime of Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler, but that was a dark time in Raiders history, and it is hard to blame Waller for not wanting to be a part of that.
He was eventually traded to the New York Giants for a third-round pick, which turned into Tre Tucker. Waller flamed out with the Giants in 2023 and retired, starting a career as a rap artist. This offseason, however, he made his grand re-entrance when he was traded to the Miami Dolphins.
Former Raiders TE Darren Waller shines early in Dolphins debut
In Miami, he is now reunited with offensive coordinator Frank Smith, who was the tight ends coach for the Raiders when Waller got his life and football career back on track. He dealt with injuries and general getting back up to speed in training camp, but he finally made his debut in Week 4.
It only took two drives for Waller to make a major impact for the Dolphins. On the first possession, he caught a 14-yard pass on third-and-5 that extended the drive and helped Miami eventually make a field goal.
On the second drive, Waller made the kind of highlight reel play that Raiders fans came to expect from him on a weekly basis. On fourth-and-goal on the New York four-yard line, Tua Tagavailoa found Waller for a touchdown over star Jets corner Sauce Gardner.
TOUCHDOWN DARREN WALLER!
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Not only did Waller go up and get the ball, but he beautifully tapped his toes in the back of the endzone to put the Dolphins up 10-0 on their AFC East rival. This puts his stats at two catches for 18 yards and a touchdown on two targets through two drives.
This is obviously a far cry from his record-setting days in Las Vegas, but it was enough to show that Waller has gas left in the tank and can provide a spark for a struggling Dolphins team. Miami had no viable tight ends playing in the first three weeks, so Waller is filling a massive hole.
Raiders fans will always cheer for Waller, and because the tight end room in Las Vegas is so strong in its current state, it doesn't sting at all to see him thriving in Miami after just a few drives.