Jordan RaananESPN Staff Writer2 Minute Reading
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — New York Giants tight end Darren Waller appeared on the final injury report with a hamstring strain ahead of Sunday night’s opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
Waller was officially listed as questionable for the game. This is the first time he appeared on the injury report this week.
The injury isn’t just from an incident in Friday’s practice, with a source telling ESPN that he experienced some hamstring tightness later this week. The fact that he was able to go to the field for practice is a positive.
Waller battled hamstring problems last season when he appeared in just nine of 17 games for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Waller, 30, injured his left hamstring in training camp last year. A right hamstring kept him out most of the season. It is not yet known which leg Waller hurt during Friday’s practice in the sweltering New Jersey heat.
Injuries have been a concern for Waller in recent years. He has played in just 20 of 34 games over the past two seasons.
It appears he will make it through the regular season unscathed. Waller looked dominant in practice all summer and showed no signs of trouble until Friday afternoon. The Pro Bowl tight end was on the field running without a hitch at the start of Friday’s practice.
Waller was perhaps the Giants’ biggest acquisition of the offseason. His size and speed in the middle of the field will give the offense a different feel and look. The hope is that it will be on full display Sunday night against the Cowboys. Waller caught three passes on four targets on his one drive this preseason.
Second-year tight end Daniel Bellinger will likely start if Waller misses the game.
Waller admitted to changing his approach in the offseason in hopes of staying healthy this season. He was also one of more than a handful of players who received “vet days” from coach Brian Daboll to try to keep him fresh.
“I know for me, the biggest change I have to make this offseason is to make sure I’m peaking at the right time,” Waller said after the trade. “One thing that helped me raise my game to such a high level was to work hard on myself in the 2018, 2019, 2020 offseasons, where it was almost too difficult, and that became my routine. Now it’s about how I can be efficient at it and make sure I’m on top at the start of the season, not showing up to training camp because I’m working so hard that I’m almost exhausted. That doesn’t set me up for success or of the group for success. For me, it’s about making sure I’m peaking at the right time.”
Waller has a pair of 1,000-yard seasons (2019-20) on his resume. He caught 28 passes for 388 yards and three touchdowns last year.