Darren Waller seems done with Giants as divorce drama lingers

NFL

By Paul Schwartz

As what increasingly felt like former Giants teammates were working and sweating on the field, Darren Waller this week was again not on the scene and instead had a far different sort of “drop’’ than a receiver allowing the ball to slip through his hands.

What a stark contrast from one year ago, to now. 

More and more, it seems as if Waller’s stay with the Giants will end up being brief, unproductive and unsatisfying for all concerned. 

Since The Post back on March 1 revealed that Waller was contemplating retiring from the NFL he has given no indication that he is planning to return to the Giants.

He has been in the news for his impending divorce from WNBA star Kelsey Plum and addressed that painful breakup in a new single “Who Knew (Her Perspective)” released on Thursday, paired with a three-minute music video featuring Waller and a woman playing the role of Plum.

“Who knew that love could kill?’’ Waller sings, and the video ends with the Plum stand-in stabbing him in the back with a knife. 

This was the same day the Giants gathered at the team facility for organized team activity No. 5.

They filled in the roster by signing two tight ends (Jack Stoll, Chris Manhertz) in free agency.

They have Daniel Bellinger and Lawrence Cager returning and it appears as if Theo Johnson, selected out of Penn State in the fourth round of the NFL draft, is in line for serious playing time, perhaps as a starter. 

At this time last year, Waller in his Giants introduction was a terror in shorts and a T-shirt, rising above defenders in individual and seven-on-seven drills, looking every bit like the No. 1 target the offense needed.

Those spring highlights did not blossom into production once the pads came on and the real football began. 

“There was so much promise, just watching him last year,’’ Brian Baldinger, NFL Network analyst and former NFL offensive lineman, told The Post. “We all watched him in minicamp and preseason and we all thought ‘They haven’t had anybody who could run like this and they could target’ and he was such a dud. Have the injuries caught up to him? Whatever personal demons, broken marriage, all the stuff that’s going on, as a teammate you can’t really ever check out on a player. Players make their own decisions but if you’re hinting at retirement at this age, I just don’t know that you can count on him at this point. It feels like he’s checked out.’’ 

The Giants acquired Waller in March 2023, sending a third round draft pick to the Raiders for what once was an explosive offensive weapon.

Waller in 2019 and 2020 combined for 197 receptions for 2,341 yards and 12 touchdowns.

A series of hamstring issues caused him to miss a total of 14 games in 2021 and 2022 and the Raiders had seen enough. 

With the Giants, Waller could not rise above the dysfunction on the offensive line and the revolving door at quarterback. He strained a hamstring in Week 8 and missed five games.

Waller finished the season with 52 catches for 552 yards.

His lone touchdown came in Week 7 against the Commanders, hauling in a 15-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor in a 14-7 victory at MetLife Stadium. 

Waller has been open about his past drug, alcohol and mental health issues.

In 2020, he started the Darren Waller Foundation to help young people and their families overcome these issues. 

Last year, Waller released his second rap album, “Walking Miracle.’’ 

Following the 2023 season, Waller, 31, expressed to individuals in the Giants organization that he was contemplating retirement, sources told The Post. 

Waller is due to make $10.5 in base salary this season and count $14 million on the salary cap.

As a post-June 1 cut, Waller’s departure would save the Giants $11.6 million on the salary cap and count only $2.5 million in dead money. 

When he first broached his retirement thoughts, Waller said he did not know if he could make the full-time commitment to preparing for the season. He has not been around at all this spring. 

“It’s all about commitment,’’ Baldinger said. “Well, are you not going to work out, not go to OTAs? Not thinking about how we’re going to make this team better? You’re not talking to [offensive coordinator Mike] Kafka every day about how to utilize you better? That’s the commitment. If I was a tight end that had a couple of really good seasons in this league, that’s what I would be doing by showing my commitment and if he’s not doing that then is he just going to show up?

“It just doesn’t look like the overall commitment is there that you have to have.’’