Darren Waller
Megan Briggs/Getty
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JULY 22: Darren Waller #83 of the Miami Dolphins speaks to the media during Miami Dolphins Training Camp at Baptist Health Training Complex on July 22, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
“Well, while trying to prevent a setback, he had a setback before practice,” Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said in a press conference on Friday about TE Darren Waller. The newest Dolphins tight end showed up on the injury report this week, and there was some uncertainty surrounding the nature and timeline of his absence.
“So what does that mean? It means he’s being challenged — the most eager player to play has another challenge,” said McDaniel. I know he’s up for it, but I don’t think he’s going to play this week. Which wasn’t planned, but one of the things the way I look at it is: with your first player you have coming out of retirement, try not to have a plan you have no experience with. But we’ll work through it, and there it is.”
Waller was acquired in a trade from the New York Giants on July 9th. He had previously retired with the Giants prior to the 2024 season, citing mounting injuries as one of the primary reasons for stepping back from the game.
Prior to their trade for Waller, the Dolphins traded away starting TE Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers as part of the Jalen Ramsey/Minkah Fitzpatrick trade. They needed a new starting tight end, and clearly they found one in Waller, though he’s evidently not going to be available in Week 1.
McDaniel Offers More Details on Darren Waller’s Injury and Mindset
Darren Waller
Dustin Satloff/GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – DECEMBER 25: Darren Waller #12 of the New York Giants makes a catch against James Bradberry #24 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on December 25, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
“Hip strain, I’m sorry,” McDaniel said when asked to clarify the nature of Waller’s injury. “Hip strain, yeah. Hip strain.”
“It was before practice Wednesday,” he said when asked about when Waller suffered the setback. “We’d already planned not to practice him anyway. It was something we didn’t know what it was until we knew what it was. But we were planning for a setback prevention. And he had a setback.”
“Well no [he’s not angry], I think he’s just really eager to play with his teammates,” McDaniel said on Waller’s mindset. “But I think you have to look at a big picture, and I think you fail in life if you set up a script proactively. It’s not about us having a pre-planned expectation of x, y, or z, it’s how we react to it. That’s why I say it’s a challenge, but this is a guy who’s been made of challenges.”
The Miami Dolphins Need Darren Waller Back as Soon as Possible
In his last season in New York, Waller had 52 receptions for 552 yards and a touchdown in 12 games. His best seasons came with the Raiders in 2019 and 2020, when he had a combined 197 receptions for 2,341 yards and 12 touchdowns.
That was some time ago now, but Waller was once one of the league’s top receiving tight ends. If he can get back even close to that level of play, the Dolphins offense will become that much more potent.