‘From retired to traded’ – Las Vegas Raiders great Darren Waller stuns NFL with shock career U-turn as Giants deal him to Dolphins despite 2023 retirement and injury setbacks - suong

The news momentarily confused NFL fans everywhere. Why would the Dolphins trade for a retired player? As it turned out, Waller had agreed to come out of retirement and sign a one-year, $5 million deal with Miami. After the initial shock wore off, Raiders fans were happy to see Waller get another shot in the NFL after how his career ended, even if it’s for an opposing team. The Raiders do not play the Dolphins in 2025, so unless they match up in the playoffs, Raider fans likely won’t be put in a position where they have to root against Waller. 

 

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Waller Made Recent Headlines for Retirement Talk

Waller’s unretirement is especially intriguing because it comes in the wake of some viral comments he made about why he retired. On Thursday June 12, 2025, Waller made an appearance on The Side You Don’t See podcast and discussed the moment he realized he was going to retire. 

He realized he wanted to retire at just 31 years old during Week 6 of the 2023 NFL season when he was a member of the Giants. The Giants were taking on the Buffalo Bills and Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll ran a series of plays using Waller like a fullback, much to Waller’s disdain.“I knew I was retiring when we played in Buffalo,” Waller said. “It was in the first quarter of the game, we were running like this counter-lead running play, and I’m kind of like leading through the hole like I’m a fullback. And the play is working, but I sit down on the sideline after a drive where we ran it like three times, and I’m like, ‘What the f— am I doing with my life? I’m out here playing fullback. I don’t even wanna do this s— anymore.’”Waller hasn’t publicly shared why he is coming out of retirement, but it’s safe to say that Miami is assuring him that he won’t be used like a fullback in 2025. 

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How Does This Affect The Raiders?

Aside from Raider fans getting to see fan-favorite Waller attempt a comeback, his unretirement and trade to Miami actually directly affects Las Vegas’s 2025 roster and plans. On Monday, June 30, 2025, the Miami Herald’s Dolphins insider Omar Kelly reported that the Dolphins were trying to trade for a Raiders tight end actually on their active roster, Michael Mayer. “Miami has had their eye on Raider TE Michael Mayer for a while,” Kelly wrote in a post on X. 

The Dolphins were seeking TE help after trading away Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers. But with Waller now in Miami, the Dolphins seemingly have filled a roster hole and have much less of a need for Mayer. That doesn’t rule out a trade entirely, as the Dolphins could still want to add to the depth of their TE room. But it should make Raiders fans feel much more confident that Mayer is sticking around. Raiders fans, are you excited to see Waller get another chance in the NFL?