Pro Bowl tight end retires; UFL championship matchup set
For a couple seasons, Darren Waller was among the finest tight ends in the NFL.
He posted back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons in 2019-2020, and had more than 100 catches in the latter season. However, injuries from that point on hindered Waller's promising career.
On Sunday, Waller announced his retirement after eight NFL seasons. This was a long-anticipated decision for the 2020 Pro Bowl selection who entered the league as a sixth-round draft pick in 2015.
"The passion is slowly been fading. I've, you know, made the decision that I'll be retiring from the NFL," Waller said in a YouTube video announcing his retirement decision. "Eternally grateful for the game of football. I wouldn't be able to have this conversation or to think things through or be self-reflective if it wasn't for an opportunity to save my life and go to rehab, which the NFL offered me."
UFL championship game: Birmingham Stallions vs. San Antonio Brahmas
On Sunday, the Birmingham Stallions and San Antonio Brahmas will decide once and for all which league was better, the USFL or XFL. Just kidding, but it could be a fun game to watch. Here's what went down over the weekend:
USFL conference championship: Birmingham Stallions 31, Michigan Panthers 18 — Matt Corral, a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers, came in and helped the Stallions rally for the win. The Stallions will be playing for a championship for a third consecutive season.
XFL conference championship: San Antonio Brahmas 25, St. Louis Battlehawks 15 — All Wade Phillips does is win UFL playoff games. The longtime former NFL coach led the Brahmas into St. Louis and his charges pulled off a mild upset of the Battlehawks, who had defeated the Brahmas twice during the regular season.
UFL championship game: Birmingham Stallions vs. San Antonio Brahmas (Sunday, 5 p.m. ET on FOX) — The back-to-back USFL champion Stallions likely will enter this game as favorites. The Brahmas, meanwhile, spoiled the Battlehawks' hopes of hosting the UFL title game, which will be held at The Dome at America's Center.
11 stars still awaiting their paydays
Justin Jefferson added a new distinction last week to a young career already teeming with them, signing a four-year extension with the Minnesota Vikings that’s the most lucrative in NFL history for a non-quarterback with a value of $140 million – $110 million of it guaranteed.
With three months to go before the 2024 regular season kicks off, Paste BN Sports' Nate Davis named 11 more players who need to get paid sooner or later.
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