Waller could wait on his decision until June
Darren Waller isn’t going to rush a decision on his future just because the NFL draft is coming up. The Giants’ starting tight end has been contemplating retirement since January, as first reported by The Post, but he told The Athletic his mind still is not made up.
And it might not be by April 25, when the draft begins.
“That would be ideal, but I also don’t want to put that on myself,” he said in a report published Tuesday. “It’s got to be before summer break, for sure.”
The Giants break for the summer June 12. Their voluntary offseason program begins Monday and will include OTAs in May and June before switching to a mandatory two-day minicamp.
It’s unclear if and when Waller will report to East Rutherford for participation.
“I have to make a decision at some point,” Waller said. “You have to be 100 percent bought in for the grind. And I have to make sure I am bringing that to the table, or it’s a disservice to the guys I am suiting up with. I also want to give the team time, where whichever way I go, they can prepare for next season. … It’s a little bit of a difficult decision, but here we are.”
The Giants operated in free agency like Waller is not expected to return, signing free agents Jack Stoll and Chris Manhertz.
It would not be a surprise to see another tight end added late in the draft — and Waller was working in Las Vegas with prospects Cade Stover and Ja’Tavion Sanders while catching passes from Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell.
Waller will count $14 million against the salary cap if he plays.
There is no advantage for the Giants to get fed up with Waller’s indecisiveness given his impact as their second-leading receiver last season (552 yards in 12 games) and because the salary-cap implications are the same ($6.2 million freed up and $7.8 million dead) whether he is cut or retires.
Waller was the Giants’ splashy addition last offseason, acquiring him from the Raiders for a thirdround draft pick.