Darren Waller comes out of retirement as Dolphins trade for ‘retired’ star in stunning offseason twist

The Dolphins are cooking and this time, they pulled a tight end straight out of retirement. Just weeks after announcing he was done with football, Darren Waller is coming back. And not just coming back, he’s heading to Miami.According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, the Dolphins are finalizing a trade with the New York Giants to acquire the veteran tight end, who will officially unretire and join one of the league’s most explosive offenses. You really can’t make this stuff up.

Darren Waller will unretire and sign with the Dolphins after trade with Giants

The Dolphins are sending a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Giants in exchange for Waller and a conditional 2027 seventh-rounder. He’s expected to sign a one-year deal worth up to $5 million, making this a low-risk, high-upside move for Miami.

The 31-year-old tight end announced his retirement in June, citing health concerns and a desire to pursue music full time. But now? He’s suiting up again, this time in aqua and orange.

Miami just let go of Jonnu Smith and now replaces him with a Pro Bowl wild card

Earlier this week, the Dolphins traded tight end Jonnu Smith to the Steelers. That left a big question mark at TE1 for about 48 hours.

Enter Waller.At his peak, Waller was one of the most dangerous pass-catching tight ends in the league, putting up over 1,100 yards in both 2019 and 2020 with the Raiders.

He struggled with injuries in recent seasons and had a quiet stint with the Giants in 2023, but the talent? Still there.When Waller retired, he said he was prioritizing his mental health, recovering from a serious medical scare, and going all-in on music. He even dropped tracks under the name “DWall.”But something changed.Whether it was the call from Mike McDaniel, the allure of South Beach, or one more shot at a deep playoff run, Waller hit the unretirement button.

And now he joins a loaded Dolphins offense featuring Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, De’Von Achane, and Tua Tagovailoa.

If it works, Miami just pulled off the sneakiest upgrade of the offseason

Darren Waller went from the studio to the huddle in less than a month. If he stays healthy and buys in, this is a massive weapon for Tua and a Dolphins offense already built for fireworks. Retirement might’ve lasted a few weeks but Waller’s return could change Miami’s entire red zone game.Also read - “You can’t be Tom Brady”: Ex-Patriots star says QBs need to stop chasing the impossible