It's no secret that the Las Vegas Raiders are getting one of the best bargains in the NFL with Darren Waller. The 29-year-old is currently the 17th highest-paid tight end in the NFL and has no guaranteed money on the remaining two years of his contract.
Given that Waller was a Pro Bowler in 2020 and is considered to be among the top-5 players at his position, one would think that he'd follow in the footsteps of a lot of players who are looking for a more competitive contract and hold out as clubs open up mandatory minicamp. However, that's not the case here.
"I just focus on enjoying it while I'm here whether I'm here 10 years or who knows how long; I'm just being present here," Waller said Tuesday, via The Athletic. "My agent's job is to do that stuff and I just focus on the football part."
Instead, Waller, who was limited to just 11 games last season due to a knee injury and COVID, is immersing himself in new head coach Josh McDaniels' offensive scheme that has historically featured tight ends.
"I'm excited. It's asking me to do a lot of things," Waller said. "We watch a lot of tape of Rob Gronkowski running wild from old New England clips. So it's exciting to see different ways that I'll be used. It's a challenging system, but I love a good challenge. I think it will bring the best out of us."
Of course, Gronkowski is the most obvious example of tight ends enjoying tremendous success under McDaniels during his tenure as the offensive coordinator with the Patriots. However, tight-end success stretches beyond the future Hall of Famer. Just last year, Hunter Henry proved to be the focal point of New England's offense and recorded a career-high in touchdowns.
Waller has already shown the ability to be an elite tight end in the NFL and is now in an offense that not only will highlight his skillset but has other weapons that will draw attention to opposing defenses like star wideout Davante Adams.
All that could put him in a position to put up strong numbers in 2022 and help Las Vegas compete in a stacked AFC West. And if he does all that, his agent won't have too difficult of a time at the negotiating table.
