Earlier this offseason, there was some chatter about the Las Vegas Raiders possibly trading star tight end, Darren Waller. The Green Bay Packers were mentioned as a landing spot, as some talks were held during the Davante Adams negotiations.

Ultimately, nothing came to fruition, which isn’t very surprising. Waller has cemented his status as one of the best tight ends in the NFL in recent years and trading him away didn’t sound very likely even with some of the rumors swirling.

Now, attention has turned to his contract situation. Waller has provided the Raiders with excellent value since signing his deal in 2019. He is set to make $7 million this season, which is 15th among players at his position and 17th in average value. He has certainly outplayed that contract, yet has two years remaining on it with zero guaranteed money.

Despite that, Waller has been at all of the voluntary workouts for the team this offseason. He is hoping to land a new contract, but that isn’t what he is focused on. Working out a new deal is the responsibility of his agent.

“My agent is working on that,” Waller said on the Ross Tucker Podcast. “I understand it, but I know if I focus on it too much, it could take away from my job and learning a new system and just continuing to try to elevate and take care of my body in the right way. I try to focus on those things and let my agent handle that. When decisions need to be made, decisions need to be made.”

It would be surprising if the Raiders are unable to work out a deal with Waller. The deal that David Njoku signed recently will likely be used as a baseline for Waller’s next contract. Njoku signed a four-year, $56.75 million deal with $28 million guaranteed.

That makes him the fifth highest-paid tight end in the NFL, something Las Vegas is probably a little disappointed by. There likely aren’t many people that would put Njoku near the same tier as Waller, so the Raiders are going to have to pay up to keep their guy happy and in town.