The Carolina Panthers finally made a move that could give their passing game a real jolt, signing Darren Waller to a one-year deal last week.
It’s a notable pickup for a tight ends group that had been short on juice. Carolina’s room includes Tommy Tremble, Ja'Tavion Sanders and Mitchell Evans, and head coach Dave Canales made it clear the idea here is simple: raise the level of competition across the roster.
"Just watching him over the years, he had a fantastic game here when they came last season and made some big plays against us. This is [general manager] Dan [Morgan] and I looking for ways to challenge our roster and rooms," Canales said, according to Sheena Quick of FOX Sports Radio 1340.
That game Canales pointed to came in Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins, when Waller put up a season-high 78 receiving yards and scored a touchdown.
For Carolina, the appeal is obvious. The Panthers haven’t had much in the way of pass-catching production from the tight end spot for Bryce Young.
Tremble and Evans bring blocking value, but they don’t add much as receivers. Sanders has shown flashes, but he hasn’t come close to living up to expectations, and blocking remains an issue for him.
Waller doesn’t bring much as a blocker either, but he gives Carolina something it simply didn’t have before: a proven pass-catcher at tight end. Even at 34 on Sept. 13, he still has more receiving ability than anyone else in that room.
He also showed last season that he can still help in the passing game, catching 283 yards and six touchdowns for the Dolphins in just nine games in 2025.
That production stands out when you compare it to Carolina’s own numbers. Tremble led the Panthers’ tight ends in receiving yards in 2025 with 249 across 17 games.
The need goes beyond tight end, too. The Panthers lost rookie Chris Brazzell to a season-ending injury, thinning out an already shaky wide receiver group led by Tetairoa McMilland and Jalen Coker.
Waller’s arrival also takes some pressure off Xavier Legette, who has not exactly been someone Carolina can lean on for a major role.
There are obvious questions. Waller’s injury history is real, and there’s always the chance decline hits hard at this stage of his career. But given what the Panthers are working with, this was a move that fits.
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