Training camp is underway this month, and teams are still looking to find upgrades for their rosters. Rookies report on July 18 and veterans report on July 22 for the Green Bay Packers.
While that is just a couple of weeks away, the NFL world saw a trade go down, as the New York Giants decided to trade TE Darren Waller to the Miami Dolphins, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network.
This comes after he retired in June 2024, but after one year, he's back in the NFL.
Surprise! The #Dolphins are finalizing a trade with the #Giants for former Pro Bowl TE Darren Waller, who is coming out of retirement to play in Miami, per sources.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 1, 2025
A fascinating twist for Waller, who retired last summer, and a new weapon for a team that just traded Jonnu Smith. pic.twitter.com/MDO2XnHClb
Packers Almost Traded for Darren Waller
To make things more interesting, the Green Bay Packers almost traded for Waller back in 2022, per Drew Rosenhaus. He said, "Darren was very nearly traded last offseason. I think the Packers and the Dolphins were very interested in Darren at that time. But the Raiders pulled back, I think, right before those deals could get done."
Fast-forwarding to now, the Packers are happy they didn't trade for the Georgia Tech product. In one season with New York, Waller had 52 grabs for 552 receiving yards and one touchdown. He didn't look engaged and also missed time with a hamstring injury.
During his time with the Raiders, Waller looked like a dynamic weapon, but that didn't translate to the Big Apple. He hopes to revive his career with the Dolphins, but the Packers dodged a bullet.
Instead, they have Tucker Kraft as their TE1, and he looks like a reliable playmaker in the making. In two seasons in Green Bay, Kraft has 81 catches for 1,062 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, including a career-high 707 receiving yards in 2024.
Jordan Love has made it clear that he wants to get Kraft the ball more this upcoming season, calling him a "dynamic playmaker."
The Packers like what they have in-house and are ready to make a jump during the 2025 season.