Raiders sign ex-Super Bowl champion TE to replace Darren Waller

The Las Vegas Raiders are moving on quickly from the Darren Waller era.

According to a report Monday by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Raiders have signed free agent tight end O.J. Howard. Rapoport had reported earlier in the day that the Raiders were hosting Howard for a visit.

Las Vegas just traded Waller, their longtime former Pro Bowl tight end, to the New York Giants in a surprise move. There were some indications that Waller was not quite seeing eye-to-eye with Raiders coach Josh McDaniels.

On top of Waller’s departure, Raiders tight end Foster Moreau is a free agent this offseason as well.

Howard, 28, is not nearly the pass-catcher that Waller is. But he is similarly sized at 6-foot-6 and 251 pounds and won a Super Bowl ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2020 season (before spending 2022 on the Houston Texans). Howard will likely see some targets in the red zone from new Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo and can be deployed in more creative formations as well.