Las Vegas Raiders

Report: Contract talks between Darren Waller and Raiders are ‘progressing,’ with sides hoping to get deal done by Sunday

Published by
Brad Sullivan

A new report indicates that contract extension talks between the Las Vegas Raiders and tight end Darren Waller continue to move forward positively.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk indicated that the main focus is to get the contract issue settled to avoid any distractions once the 2022 regular season gets underway.

“Per a league source with knowledge of the situation, talks between the Raiders and Waller are progressing,” Florio wrote. “The goal remains to get a deal done by Sunday, when the Raiders open the season against the [Los Angeles] Chargers in L.A.”

Waller, who turns 30 on Tuesday, will continue to play under his current deal regardless of how those contract discussions turn out. For both the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Waller will receive a base salary of $6.75 million as well as per-game roster bonuses.

After beginning his NFL career as a member of the Baltimore Ravens, Waller has spent his last four years with the Raiders. During that span, he’s developed into a valuable part of the team’s offense.

Waller recently changed agents, moving on from Klutch Sports to the duo of Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey. There was some concern that such a late change might delay any new deal, but that doesn’t appear to be the case in this situation.

The Raiders portion of Waller’s career began in 2018, when they were still located in Oakland, Calif. A quiet first season, in which he caught just six passes, was followed by 90 receptions and three receiving touchdowns the following season.

In the 2020 campaign, Waller managed to surpass his efforts from the previous year by snagging 107 passes and scoring nine touchdowns. However, ankle and knee injuries limited Waller to just 11 games, 55 receptions and two receiving touchdowns last season.

Waller managed to make it back in time for the Raiders’ thrilling regular season finale victory over the Chargers that sent them to the playoffs. In that contest, he caught two passes for 22 yards.

Against the eventual AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals in the playoffs, Waller delivered a strong performance with seven catches for 76 yards. Unfortunately, the Raiders’ season came to an end with a 26-19 defeat.

The hiring of new head coach Josh McDaniels and arrival of standout wide receiver Davante Adams offer hope that the Raiders can make a deeper playoff run this season.

The Raiders open up this season on the road against the Chargers. Following that clash, they will head back for their home opener at Allegiant Stadium on Sept. 18 against the Arizona Cardinals.

Brad Sullivan

Brad has written on a variety of both NBA and NFL topics and has worked previously as a sports information director at the collegiate level. A lifetime fan of sports, he's witnessed countless great moments in different sports and understands that stories can be compelling from both the perspective of winners and losers. As a frustrated fan of Cleveland sports, he experienced something unprecedented when the Cavaliers won the city's first championship in 52 years.

Published by
Brad Sullivan

Recent Posts

Antonio Brown comments on Elon Musk’s salute at inauguration event: ‘People are tired of media trying to paint narratives’

Donald Trump officially became the 47th president of the United States on Monday, and during…

15 hours ago

Jalen Green, Rashard Lewis react to shocking Houston snow: ‘City shut down’

A winter storm wreaked havoc in southeast Texas on Tuesday, covering the Houston area in…

16 hours ago

Tristan Thompson called out other star guards while campaigning for Darius Garland to make All-Star team

With the Cleveland Cavaliers on pace to win 70 games, it shouldn't come as a…

16 hours ago

Report: Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones donated to Donald Trump’s inaugural committee

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones donated to the inaugural committee for President Donald Trump, according…

2 days ago

Paolo Banchero pays huge credit to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for NBA’s diversity: ‘None of this would be possible’

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero explained the importance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to…

2 days ago

Caleb Williams’ immediate reaction to Chicago Bears hiring Ben Johnson

The Chicago Bears reportedly are hiring Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as their next…

2 days ago