There is a feeling athletes chase as kids, when the game was pure and joyful, before contracts and pressure. Darren Waller said he lost that feeling. “I feel like when I started playing football as a kid, I feel like I lost that sh*t sometimes,” he said, his voice trailing off for just a beat after the Dolphins ’ chaotic 27-21 win over the Jets .

“But yeah, tonight was pretty cool.” It was more than cool; it was a resurrection staged in the middle of a beautiful disaster. Coming back to the league is one thing. Coming back with the weight of expectation is another. Waller felt it all day Monday. “Yeah, a little bit of fear, a little bit of everything,” he admitted, “cause I haven’t really been practicing a ton.”

He hadn’t done much with the team, and the internal mon

See Full Page