New York Giants place TE Darren Waller on reserve/retired list

The New York Giants placed tight end Darren Waller on the reserve/retired list Monday evening, making his NFL retirement official.

Waller informed the team that he’d be stepping away from the game over the weekend.

“The passion has slowly been fading. I’ve, you know, made the decision that I’ll be retiring from the NFL,” Waller said in a YouTube video. “Eternally grateful for the game of football. I wouldn’t be able to have this conversation or to think things through or be self-reflective if it wasn’t for an opportunity to save my life and go to rehab, which the NFL offered me.”

General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll put no pressure on Waller to make a decision but it was inevitable that one would be made ahead of this week’s mandatory minicamp.

“We have great respect for Darren as a person and player. We wish him nothing but the best,” the Giants said in a statement.

Waller’s retirement frees up approximately $11.6 million in cap space for the Giants as he was scheduled to make $10.5 million with a $14.1 million cap number. The move will now only cost the Giants $2.5 million in dead cap money this season (and $4.9 million in dead cap next season).

In addition to making Waller’s retirement official, the Giants also released running back Gary Brightwell off of injured reserve (IR) with an injury settlement.