"I'm definitely done playing after this year."
Darren Waller realized he wanted to retire while in Orchard Park, during the first quarter of a "Sunday Night Football" matchup between the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants in Week 6 of the 2023 NFL season.
"I knew I was retiring when we played in Buffalo," explained Waller while talking to The Side You Don't See, which talks to athletes and other influential people "beyond the stats & stage".
"It was a game where it was really controversial because one of the guys held me at the end, and they didn't call it." The tight end was referring to Taron Johnson attempting to break up a pass intended for Waller in the endzone. No flag was thrown, and the Bills escaped with a 14-9 win.
"It was in the first quarter of the game. We were running this counter lead running play, and I'm kind of like leading through the hole like I'm a fullback, and the play is working. But I sit down on the sideline after like a drive where we ran like three times and I'm like, what the f*** am I doing with my life? I'm out here playing fullback. I don't even want to do this s*** anymore."
Waller finished the game with five receptions for 43 yards, and ended the 2023 season with 52 catches for 552 yards and one touchdown in what would be his final year in the NFL.
