Miami Dolphins’ Tight End Darren Waller torched the Jets on Monday Night Football by scoring two touchdowns. It was his first game back in nearly two years. Then he went on The Dan Le Batard Show and said something that stopped everyone mid-scroll.
NFL: New York Jets at Miami Dolphins
Sep 29, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller (83) reacts after the game against the New York Jets at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Darren Waller’s Drug Reference During 2-TD Game Has NFL Fans Losing Their Minds
Waller made his Dolphins debut in Week 4 of this season after sitting out all of 2024. He hauled in two touchdowns and helped Miami get its first win, a 27-21 victory over the Jets. The tight end hadn’t played since 2023. That’s actually a total of 631 days between snaps if you calculate.
After the game, the 33-year-old appeared on The Dan Le Batard Show to break down his performance. That’s when he dropped, “I’m not going to lie. I felt like I was on drugs most of the night. It was kind of crazy.”
Darren Waller on scoring 2 TDs in his first game since unretiring, via @LeBatardShow:
“I’m not going to lie. I felt like I was on drugs most of the night. It was kind of crazy.”
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) September 30, 2025
It was his own style of metaphor that got a surreal nature of returning after retiring. Given his history, fans didn’t let it slide.
One fanwrote, “Knock Knock! Random Drug Test Incoming”
Anothernoted, “Hope he gets addicted to scoring 2 touchdowns a game.”
The thirdadded, “Incoming drug test.”
A fourth userclaimed, “Crazy thing to say considering his past lmao.”
Waller caught passes of 14 and 9 yards from Tua Tagovailoa. Both went for six points. He looked comfortable in the offense despite missing the first three weeks with a hip injury.
For the unversed,he retired in June last year, missed the entire season, and unretired once the Giants traded his rights to the Dolphins on July 1st this year. His return was always going to be a storyline.
However, his quote referencing “drug” wasn’t meant to be controversial. Waller has been open about his recovery journey for years. He talks about it frequently. The gag felt like an honest attempt at humor.
Waller’s Past Substance Abuse Issues Still Follow Him
The NFL suspended Waller for the first four games of the 2016 season for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. In 2017, he faced a one-year unpaid suspension for another violation.
On August 11 that year, the NFL star overdosed on fentanyl-laced pills in his car, a near-death experience that changed his life. He entered rehab at Borden Cottage and committed to sobriety.
The Landover native returned to the league the following year, signing with the Raiders, and quickly became one of the top tight ends. In 2020, he recorded 107 catches for 1,196 yards and made the Pro Bowl. The comeback story literally became legendary.
Miami started 0-3 before Monday’s win.With Tyreek Hill out, his return couldn’t have come at a better time. Dolphins can rest easy, as the end zone is in safe hands. If he keeps finding the six-point zone, those drug jokes will be used for his compliment.