Veteran tight end Darren Waller made his Miami Dolphins debut in their 27-21 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday. It was Waller’s first NFL game since January 2024.
Waller did not play the 2024 season after announcing his retirement in June that year. However, the Pro Bowler reversed his decision and was traded from the Giants to Miami in July this year. During his hiatus, Waller divorced his ex-wife Kelsey Plum.
Fans reacted to the 33-year-old’s return to the gridiron for the first time in almost two years.
“Kelsey Plum in shambles😭 Darren Waller already a top 5 TE back from a failed rap career.”
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Kelsey Plum in shambles😭 Darren Waller already a top 5 TE back from a failed rap career
“Darren Waller’s playing like Kelsey Plum might come back.”
Darren Waller’s playing like Kelsey Plum might come back
“Waller now that he’s free from Kelsey Plum:”
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“Darren Waller is playing like he’s trying to get back Kelsey Plum.”
Darren Waller is playing like he’s trying to get back Kelsey Plum
“Darren Waller playing like Kelsey Plum in the crowd or some shit.”
Darren Waller playing like Kelsey Plum in the crowd or some shit
“Darren Waller playing like he got a text from Kelsey Plum that pissed him off before the game.”
Darren Waller playing like he got a text from Kelsey Plum that pissed him off before the game
Waller and the two-time WNBA champion tied the knot in March 2023. They filed for divorce mutually a year later in April.
Darren Waller “processing” return to football with Miami
Darren Waller made an instant impact for Miami on his return to football as he caught a four-yard touchdown on Miami’s second possession in the Week 4 clash against the Jets.
He contributed with a second touchdown reception in the third quarter to increase Miami’s lead to 17-3. He finished with three receptions for 27 yards along with the two touchdowns. Following the game, Waller shared his feelings on his return to football.
“It’s a lot to process,” Waller said. “It’s exciting, very exciting, just to be out there, just the whole day. Little bit of fear, little bit of everything, you know?
“Because I haven’t really been practicing a ton, haven’t really done a lot with the team, so it’s like, alright, I’ve got to find a way to get back out there and get into a rhythm and just be somebody that this team can rely on and give this team a return on their investment,” said Waller via NFL’s official website.
While Waller’s output was a big positive for the Dolphins, they are expected to be without star wide receiver Tyreek Hill for an extended time after his gruesome injury (possibly dislocated knee) on Monday.
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About the author
Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.
Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya’s curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America’s favorite pastime.
While Chaitanya’s favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista’s iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.
Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players’ self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.
When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.
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