Tell me the Miami Dolphins already regret trading for former retired tight end Darren Waller without telling me. In arguably the most shocking move of the offseason, the Dolphins reached an agreement with the New York Giants to send Waller and a seventh-round pick to South Beach for a sixth-rounder.
It’s nearly impossible to fathom why the Phins would send draft capital out to get a now-former retired player, but we digress.
Related: Giants fans have a right to feel betrayed by Darren Waller after change of heart
The Giants trade came right after Miami sent Jalen Ramsey, Jonnu Smith, and a seventh-round pick to the Steelers for Minkah Fitzpatrick and a fifth. It made some sense to bring in the 32-year-old veteran tight end, if not in theory. The Dolphins’ offense found a lot of success with Smith. His 88 receptions, 884 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns were all career highs. So it’s not exactly surprising they think they could hit the lottery twice. But that's a reach.
It hasn’t even been a month since the trade, and it looks like Miami might already have some buyer’s remorse. According to Jordan Schultz, the Aqua and Orange are bringing in veteran TE Noah Fant on a Monday visit, as his market heats up.
Sources: The #Dolphins are hosting free agent TE Noah Fant on a visit today.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) July 28, 2025
It’s Fant’s third visit, having already met with the #Bengals and #Saints, as he continues to draw significant interest. Miami recently traded TE Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh. pic.twitter.com/BRH50Sb4ur
Dolphins bring in Noah Fant for a visit just weeks after trading for retired Darren Waller
The Seattle Seahawks released Fant right before training camp opened. It was a relatively unsurprising move, considering his release saved them $8.9 million in cap space and they drafted Elijah Arroyo in the second round of the draft.
The seven-year veteran spent three seasons in Seattle, never quite living up to the two-year, $21 million deal he signed to stay with the Seahawks last offseason. In six seasons, the former first-round pick has totaled 300 receptions, 3,305 yards, and 15 touchdowns, not exactly elite numbers. So why the interest from Miami?
For starters, Waller has a lengthy injury history. Expecting the 32-year-old to come out of retirement and play a full season (something he’s done exactly twice in eight seasons) would be a big mistake. The last time he was truly productive was 2020 — a looong time ago. Fant could be utilized in multiple tight end sets alongside Waller, but he could also be a premium insurance policy for when he inevitably misses time.
The Dolphins don’t have much happening in their tight end room. It’s Waller and then... very little. None of Julian Hill, Pharaoh Brown, or Tanner Conner has provided much assurance. That’s really why the Fant visit is garnering attention. A top TE pairing of Waller and Fant could help Tua Tagovailoa finally reach that next step, but it's unlikely.
If the Dolphins are already poking around for help, it’s fair to wonder if they knew what they were getting into in the first place. The Waller trade looks even more confusing now than it did back then.