To say that Darren Waller's arrival wasn't spectacular would be an understatement. After only one whole week of practice with the Miami Dolphins, Waller turned 16 snaps into two touchdowns and three receptions.
His rapport with Tua Tagovailoa was crisp, and it's easy to see it developing further as the weeks go by, but one thing many Dolphins fans have wanted to know is what took him so long to get on the field?
Waller was recently on an episode of "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz" when he revealed why it took so long to get on the field with Miami this season.
"Getting into camp, first two weeks of training after signing with the Dolphins, I blew my quad out. I tore my quad from my hip. So it was like, 'What is going on?' [and] trying to piece together what this journey was supposed to be."
Darren Waller shrugs off hip injury to make a critical and needed appearance for Miami Dolphins in Week 4
When the Dolphins traded for Waller, it was assumed that he would have some rust from his one-year retirement. It became a weekly and running joke most of the offseason—another fumbled attempt by Miami general manager Chris Grier to fix a problem with a peg that didn't fit.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was coy when talking about Waller, often stating that he expected him to return in a couple of days.
That turned into weeks, and then a month. As the preseason wound down, Waller suddenly appeared on the injury report with a hip problem. We now know what that was.
Waller told Le Batard that he tore the part of the quad that attaches to his hip. This prevented him from practicing, limited his rehab ability on the sidelines, and kept him off the field much longer than anyone expected, including McDaniel.
Despite missing practice time, Waller told the media after the game on Monday night that he may not have been on the field, but he was in every meeting, taking notes and getting the mental reps he needed.
It paid off for Waller and the Dolphins against the Jets in Week 4. With the injury to Tyreek Hill, Waller is likely going to get more opportunities moving forward.