Las Vegas Raiders Great Shocks NFL World With Career Decision Reversal

Tight end Darren Waller is one of the best Las Vegas Raiders players in recent team history, recording two seasons of 1000+ yards receiving and making the 2020 Pro Bowl with the Raiders. From 2019-2021, fans and players alike considered Waller one of the best tight ends in all of football. But injuries plagued Waller for the rest of his Raiders tenure, and after one season with the New York Giants in 2023, Waller retired, seemingly permanently. But on Tuesday July 1, 2025, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero broke the shocking news that the Giants were trading Waller to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round draft pick and a conditional 2027 seventh-round selection.

Dolphins finalizing a trade with the #Giants for TE Darren Waller, who is coming out of retirement to play in Miami. (via @TomPelissero) pic.twitter.com/lZ0qN98YFd

— NFL (@NFL) July 1, 2025

The news momentarily confused NFL fans everywhere. Why would the Dolphins trade for a retired player? As it turned out, Waller had agreed to come out of retirement and sign a one-year, $5 million deal with Miami. After the initial shock wore off, Raiders fans were happy to see Waller get another shot in the NFL after how his career ended, even if it’s for an opposing team. The Raiders do not play the Dolphins in 2025, so unless they match up in the playoffs, Raider fans likely won’t be put in a position where they have to root against Waller. 

Waller Made Recent Headlines for Retirement Talk

Waller’s unretirement is especially intriguing because it comes in the wake of some viral comments he made about why he retired. On Thursday June 12, 2025, Waller made an appearance on The Side You Don’t See podcast and discussed the moment he realized he was going to retire. 

He realized he wanted to retire at just 31 years old during Week 6 of the 2023 NFL season when he was a member of the Giants. The Giants were taking on the Buffalo Bills and Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll ran a series of plays using Waller like a fullback, much to Waller’s disdain.“I knew I was retiring when we played in Buffalo,” Waller said. “It was in the first quarter of the game, we were running like this counter-lead running play, and I’m kind of like leading through the hole like I’m a fullback. And the play is working, but I sit down on the sideline after a drive where we ran it like three times, and I’m like, ‘What the f— am I doing with my life? I’m out here playing fullback. I don’t even wanna do this s— anymore.’”Waller hasn’t publicly shared why he is coming out of retirement, but it’s safe to say that Miami is assuring him that he won’t be used like a fullback in 2025. 

How Does This Affect The Raiders?

Aside from Raider fans getting to see fan-favorite Waller attempt a comeback, his unretirement and trade to Miami actually directly affects Las Vegas’s 2025 roster and plans. On Monday, June 30, 2025, the Miami Herald’s Dolphins insider Omar Kelly reported that the Dolphins were trying to trade for a Raiders tight end actually on their active roster, Michael Mayer. “Miami has had their eye on Raider TE Michael Mayer for a while,” Kelly wrote in a post on X. 

The Dolphins were seeking TE help after trading away Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers. But with Waller now in Miami, the Dolphins seemingly have filled a roster hole and have much less of a need for Mayer. That doesn’t rule out a trade entirely, as the Dolphins could still want to add to the depth of their TE room. But it should make Raiders fans feel much more confident that Mayer is sticking around. Raiders fans, are you excited to see Waller get another chance in the NFL?