Darren Waller Retired From Professional Football for a Very Serious Reason
The NFL athlete was seen playing for the Baltimore Ravens, the Las Vegas Raiders, and the New York Giants before quitting.
Published Sept. 30 2025, 5:28 p.m. ET
Every career in professional sports has a complicated side that audiences don't get to see. People are used to seeing the success stories on the screen without worrying about what goes on with the athletes once the broadcast is over.
Most professional competitors take care of their bodies in order to live a happy life when all is said and done. When injuries become abundant, athletes have to ask themselves hard questions regarding their future.
Few players have comeback stories as fascinating as the one written by Darren Waller. The NFL star can't stay away from the field, even after stating that he would be retiring from professional football.
Why did Darren Waller retire from the NFL? Here's what we know about the series of events that led the football player to temporarily leave the sport he loves so much. Most people didn't expect Darren to make a comeback after what happened.
Why did Darren Waller retire from the NFL?
According to the NFL's official website, Darren retired in 2024 due to the lingering health issues that affected his performance in the field. In addition to his questionable health status, the player had to ask himself if he was really committed to the NFL lifestyle.
Football fans are constantly critical of the shocking developments that take place around the league. The faithful followers of the sport were sad to see Darren leave at only 31 years of age.
Darren played for Georgia Tech throughout the entirety of his college career, with several NFL teams eager to recruit him once he was available to be drafted. The Ravens changed Darren's life for the better.
The athlete started his career as a professional after overcoming a complicated substance abuse situation. The Baltimore Ravens gave the young athlete the chance to build a new life for himself, but Darren continued to fail substance abuse policy tests organized by the league.
The promising star played for the Ravens from 2015 through 2018. After that, NBC reported that the Las Vegas Raiders signed a new contract with Darren. The partnership ended up lasting for four years.
The New York Post reports that Darren suffered through an overdose on pills in 2017, with the situation being connected to the health issues that forced him to retire so many years later.
Darren Waller surprised everyone with his comeback story.
It's hard for an athlete to come back from a series of unfortunate decisions, especially at the professional level. Nevertheless, the NFL reported that Darren had been recruited by the Miami Dolphins for the 2025-26 NFL season.
The player was ready to return to the field thanks to a team he had never played for in the past. Darren is determined to overcome the issues that troubled him in the past, building a new future through what the Miami Dolphins offer him.
Before he started playing for the Dolphins, Darren had 350 receptions, 4,124 receiving yards, and 20 touchdowns as part of his record as a professional. The tight end is looking to add to his legacy during the second chapter of his NFL journey.