Las Vegas Raiders’ tight end Darren Waller answers media questions before conducting his Waller Foundation ‘Wall Talk’ at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Sept. 27, 2022. Waller shared the story of his battle with substance abuse and his return to the NFL, allowing for open dialogue about resilience with Airmen and civilians from Nellis AFB. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jordan McCoy)
Tight end Darren Waller was one of the team’s best players for three years running before Josh McDaniels was appointed head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. With 107 catches in 2020, he set the franchise record for receiving yards for the team. From 2019 to 2021, he totaled 3,006 receiving yards.
During Waller’s lone season under McDaniels, his output dropped dramatically. In his meager nine games, he caught 28 passes for a total of 388 yards. As a result, during the previous offseason, the team traded him to the New York Giants. Waller spoke about McDaniels during his opportunity to do so, stating that he has a sharp football mind.
Yes, indeed. In an interview with Vic Tafur of The Athletic on April 9, Waller said, “Josh McDaniels knows ball.” It hasn’t been an issue for him. He gave me a lot of advice, such as to always position the toe perpendicular to the line of scrimmage when returning. Furthermore, the intricacy and precision of the routes – the New England culture from which he originated is incredibly detailed, and I learned a lot from the passing game they were implementing.
This supports the remarks made by other Raiders players, both past and present, regarding McDaniels. He obviously understands the game of football very well, but he was unable to succeed in the other facets of head coaching.
Darren Waller Laments Josh McDaniels Getting Fired
The relationship between Josh McDaniels’ staff and Darren Waller was clearly unstable at times. Waller was irritated by his injury problems, and he didn’t like that the coach had disclosed his wedding date to the press.
Even though their relationship was rocky, Waller regrets how she and McDaniels parted ways.
Waller asserted, “Nothing is ever as bad as it seems.” “I thought Josh McDaniels had potential, and it hurts to see people fail in that way.”
Before his second season with the Raiders could conclude, the coach was fired, and he was unable to find employment this offseason. It’s unlikely that McDaniels will take a head coaching position anytime soon.
