The Las Vegas Raiders have signed tight end Darren Waller to a 3 year $51M contract extension.
The new deal will see Waller earn just over $13M a season on average through 2026, as his previous contract was set to pay him $7M a season for the next two years. The new money average of $17M a season on the 3 year extension tops George Kittle’s previous high water mark of $15M per season.
The Georgia Tech alum was previously the 18th highest paid tight end in the league on his existing deal which led to continuous negotiations with the Raiders front office during training camp and the preseason. Ultimately, Waller switched agents last week to Drew Rosenhaus, and the two sides were able to hammer out a deal prior to the team’s season opener against the Chargers.
Waller, 29, ranks 3rd in franchise history amongst tight ends with 3,081 receiving yards. In 2022, the 6’6” 240lbs red zone threat posted 665yds with 2 TDs in a season that was disrupted by injuries, limiting him to just 11 games.
In a statement posted to the Raiders website, head coach Josh McDaniels quipped “Darren Waller is an exemplary teammate in every way, and we’re excited to see him continue to grow as a leader on this team…Darren brings a tremendous commitment and work ethic to the building every day and we couldn’t be more thrilled that he will be a part of the Raiders Family for years to come.”
Waller is only the 2nd tight end in franchise history to record back to back 1,000 yd receiving campaigns joining Raiders great Todd Chistensen.
Across 6 NFL campaigns, the 2020 Pro Bowler has accumulated 270 receptions for 3,184 receiving yards and 16 TDs.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: Jeffrey Beall. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.