The Carolina Panthers have had plenty to juggle in a rough stretch, but one of the clearest shifts in their offense has come at a spot that barely mattered much the last two seasons: tight end.
That’s changed fast in 2026. Through three games, Panthers tight ends Darren Waller, Tommy Tremble and Mitchell Evans have already been targeted 30 times, turning those looks into 22 catches for 240 yards and Waller’s two touchdowns. For a team that finished with just 78 tight end receptions all of last year, that’s a noticeable change in how the passing game is being built.
Waller has been the biggest piece of it. He’s third on the team with 112 receiving yards, and he’s one of only two Panthers with multiple touchdown catches, matching Jalen Coker with two. Coker leads Carolina with 18 receptions and 222 receiving yards, while Bryce Young has spread the ball around enough to keep multiple pass catchers involved.
Young has opened the season on solid footing despite Carolina’s 1-2 record. He has completed 59.5 percent of his passes, thrown for 939 yards and seven touchdowns, added a rushing score and avoided a fumble. The fourth-year quarterback has helped make this offense less predictable, even as the Panthers come off a 21-18 loss at Cleveland.
That loss was part of a difficult week for Dave Canales’s team, which now heads into Sunday night’s home matchup with the Detroit Lions carrying more injuries. Starting cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson are on injured reserve, and left guard Damien Lewis is expected to miss time with an elbow injury.
The Panthers have also leaned heavily on their receivers. Tetairoa McMillan and Coker headline the group, while Xavier Legette, Brycen Tremayne and John Metchie III are part of a wideout room that has been targeted 65 times, the most on the team. That group has combined for 38 catches, 581 yards and three touchdowns.
Still, the difference in Carolina’s passing attack is that it’s no longer all about the perimeter. Under Young and play-caller Brad Idzik, the Panthers are showing a more varied approach, and the tight end position has become part of the plan instead of an afterthought.
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Panthers May Need To Test A Rookie Answer On The O-Line
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Sam Hecht is the rookie name that could force the issue. A fifth-round pick with limited playing time so far, he has not been asked to do much yet, but that also means the Panthers still do not know exactly what they have in him. Giving Hecht a start would be less about a quick fix than a real evaluation, and for a team still trying to stabilize up front, that kind of information can matter just as much as the result of one Sunday. [Read more 🡒]