The Oakland Raiders have been forced to deal with a lot of adversity so far this season, but they have been able to get past it all and head into Week 7 with a 3-2 record just 0.5 games behind the Kansas City Chiefs for first place in the AFC West.
A big reason for that has been the play of tight end Darren Waller, who has become Derek Carr‘s favorite target. Through five games, Waller has already hauled in a career-high 37 receptions for 359 yards, which both lead the team.
Raiders head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock have spoken very highly of Waller since they let Jared Cook walk in free agency this past offseason. It appears they are now backing up those words as Tom Pelissero of NFL Network is reporting that Waller is signing a three-year contract extension with Oakland:
Unique deal for Waller, who is expected to get around $9 million a year on what will essentially be a three-year extension after the would-be RFA year. Security now as Waller’s remarkable comeback continues. https://t.co/5LFA7jgU0q
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 17, 2019
The team then announced the extension shortly after.
Waller has become a breakout star for the Raiders this season so it is good to see the organization prioritizing keeping him around for the long-term.
HBO’s Hard Knocks shed some light on Waller’s past with addiction this past training camp. He has come a long way as he signs a lucrative extension to stay with Gruden and the Raiders, who gave him his first real chance.
He and his teammates will return to the field after their bye week this weekend as they travel to take on the Green Bay Packers.
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