Darren Waller, Raiders agree to a 3-year contract Extension
The Las Vegas Raiders continue their surge of giving out long-term contracts. Tight end Darren Waller was next in line for a contract extension, and boy did he get it.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Waller has signed a three-year, $51 million contract extension with the team. This is now the second extension Waller has received from the Raiders, the first being back in 2019.
The first contract was for four years, $29.8 million. Waller had no guaranteed money left from that one, only set to make $7 million over the next two years before his new contract. Altogether, Waller is now contractually tied to the Raiders for five years and $66.25 million.
Many NFL stars tend to sit out and not attend practice until a new contract is in place. Waller, although deserving of one, never wanted to put himself over the team. There were also some hints a few weeks ago that a new deal may fall into place. On August 25, Waller left his agents at Klutch Sports amid the contract talks. A few days later, he hired agents Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey.
Rosenhaus said afterward that the contract talks were in no way easy.
This was one of the most challenging negotiations I’ve encountered,” Rosenhaus said. “It is very rare for a 30-year-old player with two years left on his contract to get a new deal.”
I mean, the Raiders are in a prime spot to contend. Have to be willing to be ‘challenging’ sometimes.
Waller became the starting tight end for the Raiders in 2019. As a result, he had 90 catches for 1,145 yards with three touchdowns. He followed that up with 107 catches, 1,196 yards, and 11 touchdowns in 2020. Since 2019, Waller ranks 2nd among all tight ends in catches and yards, trailing only Chiefs Travis Kelce.
The Raiders have been no stranger to handing out new contracts this year, however. Here’s the list of everyone the Raiders have locked up this year, including Waller:
- Waller: 3 years $51M
- Derek Carr: 3 years $121.5M
- Davante Adams: 5 years, $141.25M
- Maxx Crosby: 4 years, $95M
- Chandler Jones: 3 years, $51M
- Hunter Renfrow: 2 years, $32M
Darren Waller, along with the rest of the Raiders, has the vision to bring the Lombardi Trophy to Vegas. It was just a few years ago that the team was in Oakland with no future. All of a sudden, this team is being seen as a serious contender.
