If the Carolina Panthers are going to give Bryce Young a real chance to take a step in 2026, the tight end spot still looks like one of the cleanest places to upgrade.
Right now, Carolina is set to roll with Tommy Tremble, Ja'Tavion Sanders and Mitchell Evans at the top of the depth chart. That group gives the Panthers bodies, but not much proven production in the passing game. Tremble and Evans do not bring much as receivers, and Sanders, while encouraging as a rookie, still has to show he can be a true difference-maker.
That matters even more because the Panthers’ receiver room is thin beyond Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker. For an offense trying to support Young, that leaves very little margin for error.
So it makes sense that Carolina has been tied to a veteran pass-catching tight end still sitting in free agency: Jonnu Smith.
Fantasy Sports On SI’s Mark Morales-Smith included the Panthers among the top landing spots for Smith, and his reasoning matches the need in Carolina.
"Carolina is another landing spot where he could immediately step in as the starter," he said. "We do like Ja'Tavion Sanders, but he has not established himself as an NFL starter yet in his first two seasons."
Smith’s most recent season with the Pittsburgh Steelers did not jump off the page. He finished with38 catches for 222 yards and two scores.
But that line does not tell the whole story. Pittsburgh had a crowded tight end group with Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington, and former offensive coordinator Arthur Smith never seemed to have a clear plan for how to deploy Jonnu.
The same issue appeared to affect the rest of the Steelers’ tight ends, too. Freiermuth was not involved enough, either, and ended up with the second-lowest yardage total of his career.
The year before that, Smith showed exactly why teams still view him as a useful weapon. With the Miami Dolphins, he was used the right way and responded with a career-best 884 yards and eight touchdowns, earning a Pro Bowl nod.
He brings rare athleticism to the position, the kind that can turn into chunk plays quickly. He can move around the formation and line up in the slot, in the backfield or out wide.
For a Panthers offense that needs more help around Young, that kind of versatility would fit.
In Other News...
Tetairoa McMillan Camp Mess Has Panthers Fans And Parents Heated
What was supposed to be a youth football camp tied to Tetairoa McMillan instead turned into a frustrating day for families at A.C. Reynolds High School on July 1, when parents showed up expecting an event that was no longer happening. McMillan was not involved in planning and could not attend, and FlexWork Sports later confirmed the camp had been canceled back in February, leaving a messy gap between what families were told and what was actually on the calendar.
The school added another layer to the confusion by saying it never approved the event in the first place, and the NCHSAA dead period would have blocked facility use anyway. For Panthers fans, it is the kind of off-field headache that reflects poorly on everyone attached to the name, especially when the communication breakdown lands on parents who were simply trying to give their kids a football experience. [Read more 🡒]
John Metchie May Have One Edge Panthers Fans Should Watch Closely
John Metchie IIIs arrival gives the Panthers something more than another name in the receiver room. After signing a one-year deal, he is back alongside Bryce Young, the quarterback he once caught passes from at Alabama, and that shared history matters in a competition where timing, trust and familiarity can separate the last few roster spots.
Metchie is now in the mix with several other wideouts as Carolina sorts through its depth chart, but the connection with Young is the one edge fans will notice first. The two already know how to work together, and for a team trying to sharpen its passing game, that kind of built-in chemistry can make Metchie a player worth watching closely as camp unfolds. [Read more 🡒]