The Miami Dolphins lost another game, but also lost a key weapon during their game against the Cleveland Browns. Now, head coach Mike McDaniel received an unclear update on when tight end Darren Waller will be able to play again.

Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, “Tests showed that Dolphins TE Darren Waller has a strained pectoral that is not expected to require surgery, per source. He will be considered ‘week to week’ at this point.”

Waller suffered an injury in the first half of the game against the Browns. In all fairness, McDaniel should be thanking his lucky stars because Waller avoided a worst-case scenario and won’t need surgery.

Who’s the next tight end on the depth chart?

If Waller is out, Julian Hill is back as TE1 of the team. Hill started 11 games for the Dolphins last season and has started the seven games this year. It’s just that Waller had way more looks. Hill has 5 or less targets in every single game this season.

He has a total of 10 catches for 77 yards. Hill is nowhere near Waller’s level of production. Waller is a top-tier tight end in the NFL while Hill is a mid-class player. He is serviceable, but not a star.

The Dolphins have limited star power

Mike McDaniel will really need to have his offensive genius really in touch for the next weeks. The Dolphins saw wide receiver Tyreek Hill go down for the rest of the season a couple of weeks back, while Waller now is week to week. Hence, the weapons are getting scarce.

The Dolphins’ best offensive players now are running back Devon Achane and wideout Jaylen Waddle. But even them have struggled to earn wins for a team who is really going through a rough patch.

On Wednesday, the Dolphins activated Darren Waller from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. On Monday, HC Mike McDaniel said he expected the tight end to start practicing this week, and activating him allows the team to use him in training sessions.

Waller joined the Dolphins this offseason, but there is still uncertainty about his current form. He had recently retired from football, but when Miami offered him a return to the NFL, the tight end decided to continue his career for at least one more year.

Darren Waller could be Tua Tagovailoa’s key weapon, but his status raises concerns

While the Dolphins have activated Darren Waller from the PUP list, his status remains uncertain. Waller announced his retirement last June but made a comeback when Miami offered him a one-year deal worth up to $5 million.

The tight end has had underwhelming seasons with the Giants in recent years, mostly due to injuries that limited his playing time. This was a key factor in his initial decision to retire, but Waller apparently believes he still has what it takes to play at least one more season.

Waller’s arrival comes with high expectations. The tight end position has been a challenge for the Dolphins in recent seasons, and the departure of Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers left a significant gap to fill.

Last year, the Dolphins relied on Jonnu Smith, Jack Stoll, Durham Smythe, and Julian Hill at the tight end position. However, only Hill remains on the roster, which made bringing in a seasoned player like Waller key to helping Tua Tagovailoa succeed.

If Waller cannot stay healthy during the season, Hill is listed as the team’s TE2. Behind him, veterans Pharaoh Brown and Tanner Conner are Miami’s other options at the position.

Why did the Dolphins have to trade for Darren Waller if he was already retired?

Waller had attempted to retire from football twice, after the 2023 and 2024 seasons. However, he was still under contract with the Giants, so any team interested in him had to acquire him via trade.

The Dolphins acquired Waller from the Giants for a conditional 2026 sixth-round draft pick, and they also received a 2027 seventh-round pick. The veteran arrives with high expectations of taking Tua Tagovailoa’s game to a whole new level.

Darren Waller didn’t get much time to enjoy retirement before deciding to return to the NFL. Hoping for a fresh start, the 32-year-old tight end signed with the Dolphins. The chance to join an offense featuring Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, De’Von Achane, and Tagovailoa was enough to convince Waller to pull his cleats out of the attic.

Waller retired in June 2024 due to medical reasons, yet he is now back in the league, looking to turn the tide in his and Miami’s favor. However, that is much easier said than done. Training camp is underway down in South Florida, yet Waller’s stay with the Dolphins got off to a rough start, as he was unable to practice alongside Tagovailoa and company.

As the Dolphins announced on their social media, Waller has been placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. As it seems, the bet on the talented, yet injury-riddled tight end, has struggled out of the gate.

Work in progress

While the news regarding Waller’s status is deflating, it’s still too early to judge Miami’s signing of the veteran. There is still time before the NFL season arrives, and Waller can find his confidence and game back, while adapting to Mike McDaniel’s system. Moreover, the Dolphins currently don’t have the luxury of a clear-cut TE1, so having Waller on the team could pan out to be a low-risk, high-reward addition.

Tight end room

As it stands, following Smith’s departure, the Dolphins will split the tight end workload primarily between Julian Hill and Tanner Conner, who both saw action last season. Hill is expected to start, though McDaniel often favors a game plan heavy on 12 personnel.

Recurring issue

Along with Waller — and perhaps more concerning for Tagovailoa and the Dolphins’ offense — Miami has placed offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg on the PUP list. Eichenberg’s absence isn’t a major issue, provided it doesn’t turn into a long-term injury. The Dolphins saw enough of their offensive linemen go down last season, and more bad news up front would only spell trouble for McDaniel’s scheme.

Keeping Tua out of danger will be crucial for the Dolphins in 2025. While Tagovailoa thrives on quick-pass plays—posting one of the shortest average pocket times in the league—the offensive line still needs to buy him those valuable extra seconds. When pass rushers break through, it’s been a recipe for disaster—not just for Miami’s game plan, but more importantly, for the health of their franchise quarterback.

Brian Daboll’s team has struggled mightily offensively, currently ranking dead last in the NFL in points per game (11.9), passing yards per game (155.1), and third-worst in total yards per game (295.5).

A lot of that has had to do with Daniel Jones regressing from his career-best season, but injuries have also taken a big toll on their team. From Saquon Barkley early in the campaign to Jones missing several games.

Also, it’s not like they have a lot of weapons in the passing game, and star TE Darren Waller — arguably their best pass-catcher — has also had a tough time staying on the field. Notably, the former Las Vegas Raiders star injured his hamstring in Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets and didn’t return.

Waller Suffers Different Hamstring Injury

Waller had already suffered from a hamstring injury and had been a regular in the injury reports. Nonetheless, he recently told the media that this new injury isn’t related to the other.

“This one is down by where the tendon attaches to the knee,” the talented tight end said. However, he also added that it might take im “a little bit” to recover because he doesn’t want to rush his way back like his did last year.

Waller has struggled with soft-tissue injuries in the past, especially his hamstrings. He missed eight games in his final season with the Raiders before being traded to the Big Apple.

He had been able to play through his left hamstring injury despite constantly being on the injury report. However, he was unable to come back from that first-half injury for the remainder of Sunday’s game, and his status for the foreseeable future is kind of iffy.

Hamstring injuries usually take two to three weeks to heal, meaning Waller could miss the Giants’ games vs. his former team, as well as back-to-back divisional matchups vs. the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders.

He hasn’t been able to be at his best this season, yet he still leads the team in receptions (36), targets (51), receiving yards (384), and yards per game (48.0). He has scored just one while averaging 10.7 yards per catch.

Daniel Jones Will Be Back

The Giants’ offensive numbers are far from encouraging, but they will at least have their starting quarterback back on the field on Sunday. Daniel Jones missed the contests vs. the Buffalo Bills, Washington Commanders, and New York Jets after suffering a neck injury late in the game vs. the Miami Dolphins.

Jones — who had already struggled with neck injuries earlier in his career — was finally cleared for contact, and he recently confirmed that he’s going to be back for Week 9.

This comes at a critical moment for the Giants, as backup QB Tyrod Taylor suffered a broken rib and was rushed to the hospital on Sunday, with undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito handling the offense for most of the game and finishing with minus-1 passing yards.

The Giants are far behind in the playoff picture, but there’s still half of the season left. It’s going to be an uphill battle, but having their starting QB back under center is definitely a step in the right direction to right the ship.

The team entered the 2023 NFL season with high expectations, but the offense has yet to turn up its game. Waller, 31, was on the gridiron for 69 of the 75 snaps but ended the game with just three catches for 21 yards in the 24-3 loss.

Daniel Bellinger’s injury had a lot to do with Waller’s lack of participation in offense, but it was still quite frustrating for the veteran tight end. Both Jones and Brian Daboll later said they want to find ways to get Waller more involved from now on.

Giants want Darren Waller to have bigger role in Daniel Jones’ offense

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Darren,’’ Daboll said Wednesday, via the New York Post. “We can all do better, whether it’s getting him the ball, protection-wise. There are a lot of things to improve on, obviously, so that’s what we are going to try to do.’’

The Giants are leaving a lot to be desired this year, with only one win after four weeks. Jones, who was handed a massive extension in the offseason, echoed the head coach’s sentiments in regard to Waller.

“I think it’s important,’’ Jones said. “He’s a talented player and poses a big threat for defenses, so I’ve got to do a better job finding him and getting him the ball.’’

Except for their comeback win against the Arizona Cardinals, the Giants couldn’t score more than 12 points this season. Something has to change in offense, because they’re not going anywhere like this.

Who plays the Giants in Week 5?

The New York Giants return to action on Sunday, October 8, when they take on the Miami Dolphins.

But Brian Daboll’s offense has struggled mightily throughout the first month of the season. Except for that comeback win vs. the Arizona Cardinals — their lone win of the season — they’ve failed to score more than 12 points.

That’s why former Las Vegas Raiders star Darren Waller voiced his concerns and frustration after another subpar offensive effort, as the Giants were held to just 3 points at home.

Darren Waller Shows Concerns About The Offense

“I don’t ever take the field expecting to put a performance like that on display, on any team I’ve been on,” Waller said, per ProFootballTalk. “Offense is just not good enough in all facets. I don’t even have to really say — it’s just not good enough. I see the talent, I see the guys we’ve got, I see the type of vision we had in the spring, the excitement we had on offense, and I just don’t know. I ain’t got a lot of words right now. Sorry.”

The Giants have scored 0, 31, 12, and 3 points in four games this season. Granted that two of those games came against elite defenses like the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers, but still.

This team doesn’t look anywhere close to the gritty and hard-fighting squad they had last season. And to be honest, Jones hasn’t played like a $40 million a year kind of quarterback.

The league had some impactful trades in the offseason this year. There was an obvious leader in that category with the move that sent Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets. However, there was a low-key trade that could end up being huge.

The New York Giants had a clear need for offensive playmakers. They haven’t been able to get an elite wide receiver yet, but they were active in acquiring Darren Waller from the Las Vegas Raiders to add help around Daniel Jones.

Waller is one of the best tight ends in the NFL when he is healthy, although his lack of availability was probably the reason why he was shopped. It only cost the Giants a third-round pick, so this could be their biggest transaction in an attempt to be contenders.

Darren Waller gets real on why he picked N°12 in the Giants

The tight end has been an impressive weapon for the Raiders the last couple of years. However, multiple injuries limited his production on the field. His number while in Las Vegas was 83, but he decided to make a change to send a strong message.

“Twelve is a number that has a lot of meaning to me. Somebody that’s in recovery. There are certain programs that people like me are a part of, and 12 is a very symbolic number. So, it’s just representing people that are in sobriety”, Waller said in an interview with Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Clearly, Patrick Mahomes is the biggest entertainer in the league right now. With him under center, Andy Reid’s team has been almost unbeatable. Almost, because the Raiders managed to get the best of them once during the regular season.

And after a close rematch won by the Chiefs, Raiders’ tight-end Darren Waller believes that there’s not a huge gap between both teams and that they could beat them week in and week out going forward.

Darren Waller Says Playing The Chiefs Is Easy Because They Motivate Them

“I really don’t think there’s much because the first game we won, the second game they score at the end and if you ask people on defense, they say we can’t happen but those are two games that we feel like we should have won,” Waller toldJosh Schrock of NBC Sports Bay Area.

“We don’t feel like the gap is that big, honestly. It’s easy to show up and play them because they are so good and so talented that you naturally want to play your best. We feel like our best is right there with theirs,” he concluded.

The Raiders are 1-5 vs. them since Patrick Mahomes took over as the Chiefs’ starting quarterback. Then again, there are levels to everything, including losing,and the Raiders clearly mean trouble for Kansas City. Hopefully, this will be a rivalry that will keep us on the edge of our seats for years to come.