Raiders caught Darren Waller by 'surprise' with trade to Giants
The Las Vegas Raiders traded Darren Waller to save a few million, but the move apparently caught the former Raiders star by surprise.
The dust hasn't even settled on the Las Vegas Raiders' recent trade that involved star tight end, Darren Waller.
Las Vegas moved on from the often-injured Waller for pick No. 100, saving roughly $11 million with the move. It wasn't too long ago when Waller inked a $51 million contract extension. And even worse, it was a day after returning from his honeymoon that the Raiders opted to ship him off to New York.
In essence, Tuesday's trade came by a surprise on all accounts.
"I did not see this coming," he told reporters Wednesday, via NFL.com. "I was getting ready to just do everything I could to make myself available for the Raiders and get ready for everything that was going to start in mid-April. It caught me off guard, but it's the nature of the business."
Adding fuel to the Waller-Raiders story, it appears that head coach Josh McDaniels and the star didn't get along well.
Waller and WNBA star Kelsey Plum recently got married. The two were keeping their wedding plans private. However, McDaniels leaked it out during an interview at the NFL Combine, which upset Waller, per The Athletic.
It led to Plum stating that McDaniels traded Waller because he "wasn't invited to the wedding."
Though it isn't confirmed that that was the reason the Raiders moved on from Waller, the timing of the trade speaks loudly.
It also doesn't make much sense to move on from Waller because the Raiders don't have a viable tight end on the roster. Additionally, the move was something that other star members of the team weren't too fond of themselves.
The most vocal against the trade was Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs.
For whatever reason, McDaniels has slowly dismantled the Raiders team that went to the playoffs in the 2021 season. Now, without Waller, Las Vegas' future looks even more uncertain than it did leading into the 2023 NFL season. It begs one question: Will moves like trading Waller on a whim and shifting all the blame to Carr be the long-term downfall of the Raiders?
And that answer will only be given in time.
