Despite a very disappointing end to last season, it’s clear that the Houston Texans are legitimate contenders. With that in mind, they should look to sign Darren Waller for the 2026 NFL season.
*Prediction*
As for why Waller might be available, it’s hard to see him heading back to the Miami Dolphins. With a major question at quarterback and a number of problems on this roster, this looks like a rebuilding team.
Waller, at 33 years old, doesn’t fit that mold.
Now there’s no guarantee that Waller will even play beyond this season. Prior to joining the Dolphins, Waller had last played for the New York Giants in 2023, which was his last season before retirement.
Seeing him come back was a bit of a shock. If Waller does want to play in 2026, he’s an underrated free agency target that not enough people are talking about right now.
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Darren Waller Contract
Right now on Spotrac, Waller has the 11th-highest projected average annual value among all tight ends in this free agency class. That number comes out to $3,216,168.
That puts Waller right behind Noah Fant and just above Adam Trautman.
Considering that Waller will likely sign a one-year deal and he only fits on a contending roster, this makes sense.
Even last year, Waller made some incredible plays, especially in the red zone. But when you take his injury history and age into consideration, there’s a significant amount of risk.
Why the Houston Texans Should Sign Darren Waller
The Texans don’t have great tight-end depth heading into 2026. Having a mix of Dalton Schultz, Brevin Jordan, and Cade Stover isn’t exactly ideal.
For starters, Schultz had a strong 2025 season with 82 catches for 777 yards and three touchdowns. That said, from 2022 to 2024, Schultz failed to cross over 650 receiving yards.
Now that he’s 29 years old, there’s some concern that this might not continue over to 2026. In terms of Jordan and Stover, neither has proved they can be reliable options.
Despite not having many opportunities, both of them have failed to cross over over 250 receiving yards in a season.
The hope for Waller would be to add a tight end who can add a bit more juice on offense next to Schultz.
To be specific, the ideal role for Waller would be to add him as a red zone threat. For context, Waller had six touchdowns in nine games this past year compared to Schultz with three in 17 games.
Waller was incredibly efficient, too, catching six of his seven targets inside the 20-yard line.
Unlike the Dolphins, this Texans team is ready to win right now. Even though fans might be pessimistic after the playoff loss to the New England Patriots, it’s clear that this is a very talented roster.
Darren Waller Stats
Outside of the red zone, it’s not as if Waller was elite by any means. If you’re expecting Waller to play how he did with the Las Vegas Raiders back in 2020, it seems like those days are gone.
Waller had 24 catches for 283 yards and six touchdowns this past year (nine games). As discussed above with the injury risk, Waller struggled to stay healthy.
As long as the Houston Texans can sign Darren Waller to a very affordable deal for just one year, this move makes a ton of sense for both sides.
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