General manager Joe Schoen and the New York Giants acquired a fifth-round pick from the Miami Dolphins, in exchange for a player that they had no plans for in 2025 and beyond.
Tuesday, the Dolphins traded a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to the Giants, in exchange for tight end Darren Waller and a conditional seventh round pick in the 2027 draft, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Waller, of course, announced his retirement from the NFL prior to the 2024 season kicking off, but plans to come out of retirement to suit up for the Dolphins this season.
Before stepping away from football last June, Waller, 32, was viewed as a pass-catching force at the position, pulling down 350 career receptions for 4,124 yards and 20 touchdowns.
The Giants originally traded a third-round compensatory pick to acquire Waller in 2023, but the Pro Bowl tight end only played one season in New York before announcing his retirement. That season, Waller finished as the Giants’ second-leading receiver, catching 52 passes for 552 yards and a touchdown.
However, hamstring injuries plagued his final season, and he only appeared in nine games which included a stint on injured reserve.
This season, the Giants will lean heavily on emerging second-year tight end Theo Johnson, who caught 29 passes for 331 yards and one touchdown as a rookie, after being chosen in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, out of Penn State.
Why the Miami Dolphins Targeted Darren Waller
Dustin Satloff | GettyThe New York Giants traded Darren Waller and a conditional seventh-round NFL Draft pick for a fifth-round choice.
The Dolphins had a clear need at tight end, after trading Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Monday.
Waller now arrives in South Beach where he’ll reside alongside explosive wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, in quarterback Tua Tagovailoa‘s arsenal. According to a report from NFL Media, the opportunity to play for the Dolphins was the one condition Waller was willing to return to the NFL for.
The only competition for snaps, for Waller, will come from Julian Hill, Pharoh Brown, and Tanner Conner, which underscores how thin Miami had previously been at the position prior to Tuesday’s trade.
Whether head coach Mike McDaniel, and Tagovailoa can revitalize Waller remains to be seen. But, given the fact that the former sixth-round draft choice turned Pro Bowler is playing on a one-year contract, he should have plenty of motivation to produce.
Giants’ Theo Johnson Could Markedly Improve
Steph Chambers | Getty New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson could have the pieces in place for a breakout second NFL season.
When the Giants chose Theo Johnson with the No. 107 overall pick in 2024, the former five-star prospect and Penn State standout had a lofty ceiling.
Despite the fact that Johnson’s production left much to be desired as a rookie, at least one analyst believes the six-foot-six and 260-pound pass catcher could the most improved tight end across the NFL, in his second season.
“Johnson caught just 11 passes for 115 yards in his first seven games of the season,” Thomas Valentine writes of Johnson, for PFF. “Before kicking it up a gear and catching 18 passes for 216 yards in the next five games. In truth, Johnson’s season ended just as he was starting to find a groove, unfortunately halting his momentum. However, the circumstances for his return and the offensive environment he’ll find himself in in 2025 are far greater. The Giants’ 64.4 grade on offense in 2024 was 29th in the NFL, but with Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, or even Jaxson Dart at quarterback, there should be more consistency on offense.
“The hope is that Johnson can pick up from where he left off in the back half of the 2024 season and continue to grow into a secondary pass-catcher for the Giants. Malik Nabers will naturally be the number one option on offense, but with a whole offseason under his belt, Johnson could become a real hit in 2025.”
For New York, there’s a chance that Johnson building on the momentum of a strong finish to the season combined with the attention defenses must pay Nabers over the top and potentially dramatically improved quarterback play could lead to a prolific second NFL season.
