New York Giants tight end Darren Waller has been nursing a hamstring strain sustained just prior to the start of the regular season. Waller turned up on the Giants’ injury report last Friday and has been limited in practice ever since.
Despite the injury, Waller played in New York’s embarrassing Week 1 loss against the Cowboys and led the team in receiving with 36 yards on three receptions. Waller, still hampered by his hamstring injury, was limited again at practice this week, leaving many questioning the significance of this injury and whether or not it would keep him out of the lineup in Week 2.
Waller reassured reporters on Thursday that the injury is insignificant and that he plans on playing this Sunday.
Darren Waller says he is “not worried” about his lingering hamstring injury
Waller, however, has a significant injury history throughout his career, calling his ability to stay healthy into question. The question was raised once again when Waller landed himself on the injury report last Friday. He has been dealing with a “lingering” hamstring injury stemming from nerve damage sustained in the muscle last season.
After not participating in Wednesday’s practice, Waller returned to the practice field in a limited capacity on Thursday. He told reporters that he is “not worried” about the injury and will be playing this Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
When asked to compare his current injury to that of last season’s, Waller said, “As far as the severity of last year it’s nowhere near that.” Waller missed eight games with a hamstring injury last season.
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The Giants will have a healthy Waller in the lineup on Sunday
The Giants will have Waller in the lineup this week as they face the Arizona Cardinals. Waller said, “Nah, I’m playing,” when reporters asked him if there was any chance of him taking the week off.
Last season’s injury was nothing unfamiliar to Waller. He also missed five games in 2021 with a hamstring injury. But, when asked if this year’s hamstring strain is one that concerns him long-term, Waller said, “No, not really.”
Evidently, Waller’s current injury is not much of a muscle strain as it is a nerve issue. “It more so has to do with the nerve that was behind it, so it’s not really a muscular issue,” Waller said on Wednesday. The Giants have been taking a careful approach to Waller’s health this season as they try to keep their star playmaker in the lineup for the duration of the year.