In September of last year, the Las Vegas Raiders signed tight end Darren Waller to a three-year, $51 million contract, making him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL. At that point, Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels declared that he “couldn’t be more thrilled” for Waller to remain a member of the team for many years to come.

Waller was traded by Vegas to the New York Giants for a third-round pick six months later. Prior to the sale, Waller, 30, had made a name for himself as one of the league’s top tight ends. Thus, several in the football community were naturally surprised by the action.

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Nevertheless, the cause of this surprise trade has finally been revealed.

According to Pro Football Network Insider Adam Caplan, the Raiders’ choice was motivated by their growing worries about Waller’s persistent injury problems over the previous two seasons. The 30-year-old tight end has been absent from 14 games overall since 2021.

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Two years ago, during the preseason, Waller struggled with an ankle issue that he later aggravated during the regular season. This is when Waller’s injury problems started. He also had an IT band strain in November 2021, which restricted him until January. Later, a hamstring problem resulted in him missing eight games in 2022.

The Raiders have no off-field concerns about Waller, according to Caplan. As opposed to keeping players for too long, teams frequently choose to part ways with them a year too early, according to a source familiar with professional personnel decisions.

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Waller’s fresh start begins with the trade to the Giants, and it is to be seen how he will perform with his new squad. The Giants will be hoping that Waller’s recent injuries are a thing of the past when he shows up for the first time for the New York franchise in the fall.