Former Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller has announced his retirement from the NFL after eight seasons in the league. With that in mind, where does he rank among the greatest tight ends in Raiders history?
During his five seasons with the Raiders, Waller emerged as one of the best tight ends in the NFL, amassing 286 catches for 3,469 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns, including two 1,100-yard seasons. He also had one Pro Bowl nod in that span.
Unfortunately, Waller dealt with injury issues over his final two years with the team, leading to his being traded to the New York Giants in 2023. Those lackluster final two seasons greatly hindered his place in franchise history among the Raiders' greatest tight ends.
When it comes to pure talent as a playmaker, few in league history have had the tools Waller had at the position, as he was basically a receiver playing tight end. However, when you take everything into consideration, like Super Bowl rings, the era in which he played, and overall impact on the franchise, he doesn't land any higher than fourth on the Raiders' all-time list of the greatest tight ends.
Among Raiders tight ends, Waller has the second-most receiving yards in franchise history, falling behind Todd Christensen, who is a Hall of Famer and the best tight end in Raiders history.
But Waller still falls short of Dave Casper, a Hall of Famer who had five Pro Bowls, four First-Team All-Pros and a pair of Super Bowls with the Raiders. It's safe to say that had Casper played in the era Waller did, he would've had more receiving yards than him.
Waller had more receiving yards as a Raider than Raymond Chester, but the same rule applies with the different eras they played in, and Chester had one Super Bowl ring and four Pro Bowls to Waller's one.
If Waller had the longevity that some of the other tight ends had and didn't battle the injuries he did over his final two years with the team, he might've pushed for higher on the franchise's all-time list.
Here's our complete top five:
1. Todd Christensen
2. Dave Casper
3. Raymond Chester
4. Darren Waller
5. Zach Miller
