The New York Giants await the retirement decision of tight end Darren Waller, but they can save significant space against the salary cap now by making the decision for him.
With the month of June arriving, the players designated as post-June 1 cuts will save teams a boatload of salary-cap space. Some of those moves have already been made—the Las Vegas Raiders will save $24 million against the cap with Jimmy Garoppolo’s release earlier this offseason.
The Giants can make a similar move now that June 1 has arrived. By releasing Waller, the Giants would save $11.625 million against the cap, according to Over The Cap.
The Giants may be doing their best to take the high road as Waller contemplates his retirement but at some point, they need to make a decision for themselves.
This is especially true after Waller awkwardly dropped a new single, proving his mind is no longer on football as he deals with personal issues.
MORE: Giants fans have hilarious jokes after Darren Waller drops new single
It’s commendable that the Giants want to support Waller and give him his space as he works through these personal issues, but the NFL is also a business. The Giants need the cap space, and Waller’s injury history has made him less than dependable anyway.
On top of that, the Giants made sure to put a contingency plan in place by selecting Theo Johnson in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
We’ll see if the Giants make a decision either way, but it might be wise to use this to their advantage.
For more Giants coverage, check out Kevin Hickey’s work on Sporting News
