Raiders HC Jon Gruden offers high praise for TE Darren Waller

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller (83) Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Raiders HC Jon Gruden: TE Darren Waller 'the best player I've ever coached'

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 9/14/21

Darren Waller was Derek Carr's favorite target in Monday's 33-27 overtime win over the Baltimore Ravens.

Seven of the veteran's first 10 targets went to Waller, with just one completion. However, the duo began to heat up after the first quarter, and Waller finished with 10 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown on a career-high 19 targets.

Waller tied for the most targets in a single game by a Raiders player since 1992, joining Tim Brown (2000), Jerry Rice (2002) and Amari Cooper (2017), per NFL Research.

After Monday's game, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden was candid in his support of Waller, praising the athletic tight end following a career night.

Jon Gruden on Darren Waller getting 19 targets tonight: "We threw it 60 times. If you throw 60 times, you'd probably target him 29. He’s the best player I’ve ever coached, so i’m going to continue to look for him." #Raiders
— Adam Hill (@AdamHillLVRJ) September 14, 2021

When Waller heard of Gruden's praise, he simply responded, "Dang, that's crazy," according to Jimmy Durkin of The Athletic.

It's no surprise Waller is one of Carr's favorite targets. He draws comparison to Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce and San Francisco 49ers veteran George Kittle.

Waller might not see 19 targets a game in the future, but he'll undoubtedly remain Carr's go-to receiver. After racking up more than 100 yards on Monday night, the 29-year-old is well on his way to recording another 1,000-plus yard season.

More must-reads: