Little had been speculated about a potential Waller return, but that all changed last week as the Miami Dolphins<\/a> pulled off a surprise trade.<\/p>\n Waller will now play for Miami<\/a> in the 2025 NFL season, with the New York Giants agreeing to a trade following the tight end\u2019s decision to return to the NFL.<\/p>\n Waller was a wide receiver during his college days at Georgia Tech, but the Baltimore Ravens saw something in him as a converted tight end.<\/p>\n A suspension saw Waller miss the 2017 season, but Baltimore waived him in September 2018, signing him to their practice squad.<\/p>\n The Raiders signed Waller just two months later, and he hasn\u2019t looked back, racking up two 1,000-plus receiving yard seasons.<\/p>\n Waller recorded 107 receptions and nine receiving touchdowns in the 2020 season, establishing himself as one of the NFL\u2019s very best tight ends.<\/p>\n The Raiders traded Waller to the New York Giants in 2023, less than a year after handing him a huge three-year, $51million contract.<\/p>\n Waller\u2019s time in New York was short and sweet, recording 52 catches in 12 games for a total of 552 yards, before he decided to hang up his cleats and retire.<\/p>\n Now 32, Waller is back again, and Plaxico Burress believes he knows why the retirement decision was made in the first place.<\/p>\n Speaking on Up on Game<\/a>, Burress suggested that Waller simply didn\u2019t want to play for Giants head coach Brian Daboll.<\/p>\n Former Giants receiver Burress noted that Waller was often used as a fullback rather than as a tight end, which just isn\u2019t Waller\u2019s game.<\/p>\n Burress feels Waller just wasn\u2019t in a good situation in New York, and he truly believes that Waller\u2019s retirement was in part down to not wanting to play for Daboll with the Giants.<\/p>\n \u201cHe came to the Giants and they had him back there playing fullback,\u201d said Burress.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a tight end! You\u2019re not built psychologically or mentally as a tight end to be running up in the two and four hole, taking on middle linebackers and linemen. That\u2019s not how we are built as players.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it had more to do with a lot of things that he had going on outside of football, and I don\u2019t really think he wanted to be here in New York playing for Brian Daboll. I really, honestly believe that.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t a good situation. Daniel Jones is at quarterback; they weren\u2019t using him as a tight end, which is what they brought him here for,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Brian Daboll is entering a crucial season<\/p>\n Daboll enters the 2025 season as the leader of the hot seat rankings.<\/p>\n The Giants appeared to be moving forward when Daboll went 9-7 in his first season as head coach.<\/p>\n The last two seasons have brought disappointing results, though, as Daboll went 6-11 in 2023 and 3-14 in 2024.<\/p>\n Results are heading in the wrong direction for Daboll, and he cannot afford for that trend to continue this season.<\/p>\n Many may even predict an in-season firing for Daboll if the Giants can\u2019t turn things around early in a difficult 2025 season<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Darren](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/USATSI_21711148_168403925_lowres.jpg\")
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY SportsPlaxico Burress shares theory on Darren Waller\u2019s New York Giants exit<\/p>\n