Dolphins tight end Darren Waller had not played in an NFL game since January 2024 when he took the field against the Jets on Monday night, but it didn’t take long to offer a reminder of what made him a dynamic option in the passing game.
Waller, who retired while with the Giants last year and joined the Dolphins in an offseason trade, caught a 14-yard pass on third down to help set up a field goal on Miami’s opening drive and then hauled in a touchdown on fourth down to cap their second possession. Waller added another touchdown in the second half and he secured the ball on a late onside kick to seal the team’s first victory of the season.
After the game, Waller told reporters “it felt like when I started playing football as a kid” and that was something he’d lost while dealing with injuries that included the hip issue that delayed his Dolphins debut.
“It’s a lot to process,” Waller said. “Very exciting, just very exciting, just to be out there the whole day. Little bit of fear, little bit of everything, you know? I haven’t really been practicing a ton, haven’t really done a lot with the team, so it’s like, ‘I’ve got to find a way to get back out there and get into a rhythm and just be somebody that this team can rely on and give this team a return on their investment.’”
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel appears to feel that way. He said in his press conference that the team was “very confident when he was ready to go that he would be what we know him to be” and Waller repaid that confidence in a major way on Monday night.
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