Raiders sign Waller to reported 3-year, $27M contract extension

The Oakland Raiders have signed tight end Darren Waller to a multi-year contract extension, the team announced Wednesday.

Waller is expected to earn $9 million per season on a new three-year deal that will kick in after the 2019 season, a source told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Waller would have been a restricted free agent following the 2019 campaign.

The extension continues an incredible comeback story for the 27-year-old. Waller battled addiction while with the Baltimore Ravens and was suspended one year in 2017 for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy for a second time.

Waller later resurfaced with the Raiders, who signed him off Baltimore's practice squad in November 2018. He leads Oakland with 37 catches and 359 receiving yards so far this season, ranking second in the former among NFL tight ends.

A $9-million annual salary would make Waller the league's fifth-highest paid tight end in terms of average annual value.