Darren Waller continues to make headlines. That’s despite having been jettisoned by the Las Vegas Raiders recently. Well, that’s not too surprising considering how his final year went. It should also be noted how quickly things changed in terms of how fans have viewed recent events as well.
What happened between the Raiders and Darren Waller?
Waller’s journey from upper-echelon tight end to injury-prone player, then to martyr, is a fascinating one. At one point, Raiders fans were alluding to the notion that Waller’s hamstring injury was not as serious as he made it out to be. They called him a quitter, a distraction, and everything in between. Nevertheless, when he did play, he still showed flashes of his 2020 Pro Bowl campaign, but in the end, the team’s brass had seen enough.
Shipped off to the New York Giants for a third-round pick, Waller will look to get his career going again in the Big Apple. Still, what really happened? Why the divorce when Josh McDaniels had just said that his tight end figured to be a big part of the operation moving forward? Surely, it wasn’t over a wedding, right?
Waller sounds off on a recent “source.”
One person who’s close to the situation is offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi. However, it was his father, Michael, who recently gave “insight” into what happened. Mr. Lombardi, for all intents and purposes, painted a picture in which Waller effectively ditched his teammates. Here, you can be the judge of what the man said for yourself on “The GM Shuffle” podcast. As far as Waller was concerned, he wasn’t shy about giving his own account via the “AP Pro Football” show.
“I wanted to keep completely private from the team and I told him. So, the Thursday through Sunday that we’re mandated to get off by the league, that was when I proposed to Kelsey. I was going there and didn’t really want to share with anyone. I was like ‘yeah, I’m just going here and that’s where I’m going to be because you’re mandated to get off Thursday through Sunday. That’s what I did, and I eventually told Josh and that’s how he knew and was able to by mistake tell the reporters that my wedding was happening. But I want to keep it ultimately private, so that’s why I didn’t tell where I was going.”
A Private Matter…
So, there you have it. The man simply desired his privacy, and he claimed McDaniels was aware of this. Of course, we don’t know if the snafu surrounding McDaniels’ “leak” regarding Waller’s wedding played a significant role in his being traded. The possibility exists that the Raiders simply wanted to go in a different direction at the tight end position. However, Raiders fans were quick to judge the team’s decision-makers. How dare they trade a talented player for a third-round pick? fans exclaimed.
Waller’s departure is another move that McDaniels/Dave Ziegler critics are questioning until they see the finished product on the field. Oh, and “questioning it” is putting it lightly. How quickly things can change when certain roster moves do not align with a person’s emotions or agenda. Either way, Darren Waller is gone, and now we wait. If anything, maybe this upcoming NFL Draft will give the Raiders Waller’s heir.
*Top Photo: NBC Sports
4-Round Raiders Mock Draft: GM Dave Ziegler Gets His QB And Loads Up On “D”