New York Giants tight end Darren Waller’s life story is one that anyone should appreciate. His ability to overcome substance abuse issues and forge a strong NFL career is admirable.

Waller has been in the league since 2015 where he drafted in the sixth round from Georgia Tech University. Early on in his career he struggled to find his footing and was dealing with off the field issues that plagued his mind. After being suspended for the entire 2017 season, then Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden took a flyer on Waller and helped him get his life back on track. That season, Waller finished with just six receptions for 75 yards, but what would happen next would change the trajectory of his entire life.

The following season Waller was placed in an increased role and finished with 90 receptions for 1,145 yards and three touchdowns. He was a big red zone body and an athletic specimen that was making plays week in and week out. After 2020, where he would post career high numbers such as 107 receptions for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns, the slow demise began to unfold.

Waller in 2021 only registered 665 receiving yards and in 2022 he was even lower with 388. The production decrease ultimately made the organization trade him to the New York Giants for a 2023 third-round pick in which the now Las Vegas Raiders selected wide receiver Tre Tucker from the University of Cincinnati.

Sometimes individuals in life need a fresh reset and that is especially true when it comes to athletes in the NFL. The Giants hoped that the 31-year-old tight end could resurrect his career and get back to producing like the 2019 and 2020 seasons, but that just did not happen. Waller caught 52 receptions for 552 yards and just one touchdown, a far outcry from his once single season high nine touchdowns he caught in 2020.

The highest-paid TEs in the league 💰 pic.twitter.com/9Jr934Dljy

— PFF (@PFF) March 22, 2024

Just recently Pro Football Focus (PFF) posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, a graphic that shows Waller as the highest paid tight end in the NFL; he is making $17 million. Travis Kelce is in fourth place and he just won back-to-back Super Bowls and is still producing at an extremely high level.

This post sparked controversary even though Waller and the Giants may part ways within the next several weeks. Waller is also on record mentioning retiring and the organization over a week ago signed another tight end to the roster as he ponders his future plans.

While looking at the 2023 offensive yardage and production from the list above, Waller is in last place with total receiving yards.

• Waller: 552 Receiving Yards
• Hockenson: 960 Receiving Yards (Tore his ACL in Week 16)
• Kittle: 1,132 Total Receiving Yards (Includes Postseason)
• Kelce: 1,339 Total Receiving Yards (Includes Postseason)
• Goedert: 613 Total Receiving Yards (Includes Postseason)
• Andrews: 559 Total Receiving Yards (Includes Postseason)
• Engram: 963 Receiving Yards
• Njoku: 975 Total Receiving Yards (Includes Postseason)
• Kmet: 719 Receiving Yards

Note: Andrews even beat Waller with just seven more yards and he missed multiple weeks due to a severe injury to his ankle.

Waller had the least amount of yards this season and is the highest paid tight end in the NFL at this current moment. While the deal was prior to the 2023 season, a fresh look into the market is needed this offseason. There is no way that Kelce and Kittle, both tight ends who have reached the Super Bowl in multiple seasons deserve a cheaper paycheck than an athlete who is trying to get back on track, and even contemplating retiring this offseason.