The New York Giants, already without quarterback Daniel Jones, were dealt another serious blow Sunday afternoon against the Jets when tight end Darren Waller went down with an injury.
Waller suffered a hamstring injury in the first half of Sunday's contest, after dealing with the same injury throughout the week in practice, according to multiple reports.
#Giants TE Darren Waller has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 29, 2023
Prior to getting injured, Waller was one of only four players to catch a pass Sunday afternoon from backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor, departing with a team-leading one catch for four yards.
Since Taylor came on in relief of Jones in Week 5, catching 20 of his 35 receptions for 227 yards and his first touchdown reception of the season.
For a Giants offense that has been limited, even before losing Waller, the veteran tight end's injury could make it even more difficult to effectively move the football against a Jets defense that entered this week allowing just 216.7 passing yards per game.
In Waller's absence, expect second-year tight end Daniel Bellinger to take on expanded role in Sunday afternoon's game.
New York acquired Waller prior to this season in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, in exchange for a third-round pick in the NFL Draft, but he struggled to find his footing with Jones behind center.
Despite a sluggish start to the season, the impact of losing Waller is underscored by the fact that he entered Sunday's action as the Giants' leading-receiver, with 380 yards. Darius Slayton is the only other Giants' receiving option to have produced more than 200 receiving yards through the first seven games of the 2023 campaign.
In his eighth NFL season, Waller has caught 333 of 476 career targets for 3,952 yards and 20 touchdowns, while averaging 11.9 yards per reception through his first 81 games.
With just under 5:00 remaining in the first half, the Giants trailed the New York Jets 7-3 at MetLife Stadium.
