Tuesday saw Josh McDaniels and the Las Vegas Raiders trade away former Pro Bowler Darren Waller. But just about 10 days ago, it seems the head coach crossed a very personal line with the tight end.
According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, Waller was upset that his wedding to Las Vegas Aces star Kelsey Plum earlier this month was leaked in advance in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. McDaniels had apparently told reporters Waller and Plum were tying the knot during media scrums at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.
McDaniels was, uh, not supposed to do that! Waller understandably didn’t appreciate the breach of privacy. A little over a week later, while it seems unrelated, Waller is no longer a Raider:
The trade comes 10 days after Darren Waller’s wedding to Aces guard Kelsey Plum. The timing is only interesting because Josh McDaniels accidentally leaked the news of his wedding to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine. …
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) March 14, 2023
Waller was upset with McDaniels when the Las Vegas Review-Journal posted a story announcing the wedding was scheduled later in the week. The couple had not publicly announced their plans to get married.
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) March 14, 2023
It’s worth noting that the Raiders had been discussing trading Waller for about a year, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. He was almost a part of their blockbuster deal to acquire Davante Adams. That makes the timing of Waller’s trade now after McDaniels’ apparent wedding snafu a mere coincidence more than anything.
That said, none of this shines a positive light on McDaniels.
It piles on a harsh NFLPA report card where Raiders players privately disclosed that McDaniels doesn’t listen to his team and keeps them working longer than necessary. The data was gathered sometime during the early parts of the 2022 offseason, which means within an approximate year’s time, McDaniels may have:
- Alienated his players
- Led them to a disappointing 6-11 season
- Seemingly spoiled the wedding news of one of his now-former players
One fact is becoming abundantly clear as McDaniels tries to rebound with Jimmy Garoppolo. He just might not be cut for this head coaching deal — on or off the field.
NFL fans weren't shocked to learn McDaniels would apparently spoil Waller's wedding to Plum
Josh McDaniels is a clown https://t.co/P1kUdbqxBG
— ChicagoMuse (@ChicagoStatMuse) March 14, 2023
That classic McDaniels tact is still going strong, I see … https://t.co/4DLHZzGYci
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) March 14, 2023
A story that just brims with professionalism. https://t.co/YDSWGerAIJ
— Mike Tanier (@MikeTanier) March 14, 2023
O/U Josh McDaniels returning to the Pats https://t.co/8IltL7W4kP
— Pats Pulpit (@patspulpit) March 14, 2023
Patriot Way…. https://t.co/i18Ehc7qOC
— Nino (@qdiggs6) March 14, 2023
https://t.co/HJ0pppwOhr pic.twitter.com/Uzp1PXv21D
— Zach Gelb (@ZachGelb) March 14, 2023
Darren Waller JUST GOT MARRIED to Kelsey Plum of the Las Vegas Aces and Josh McDaniels’ wedding present was to trade him to the New York Giants. McDaniels is NOT a romantic.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) March 14, 2023
Is there a betting line on who the next Raiders coach will be? https://t.co/QJMmAaQYWZ
— KD Drummond (@KDDrummondNFL) March 14, 2023
In Waller's defense, if someone blabbed about my wedding before mom got it in the @timestribune, we'd be looking for a missing person. https://t.co/1IXYqmS6xU
— Conor Orr (@ConorOrr) March 14, 2023
NOW we know why McDaniels was rated so poorly on the NFLPA report card https://t.co/TEa13N2gOn
— Kalyn Kahler (@kalynkahler) March 14, 2023
