The Las Vegas Raiders made Darren Waller the highest-paid tight end in the NFL last September, signing him to a three-year, $51 million deal. Head coach Josh McDaniels said at the time he "couldn't be more thrilled" for Waller to be a part of the Raiders family for years to come, but six months later, Vegas traded Waller to the New York Giants in exchange for a third-round pick.
Why did the Raiders part ways with Waller directly after rewarding him with a huge contract? Pro Football Network recently shed some light on the situation, saying the Raiders became, "wary of Waller missing significant time over the last two seasons."
Waller has missed 14 total games over the past two seasons due to several injuries. An IT band strain affected his 2021 campaign, and then a hamstring injury forced him to miss eight contests in 2022.
