The Carolina Panthers drew solid marks for their offseason work, but one part of the roster still has people looking twice: tight end.
NFL.com’s Matt Okada handed Carolina a B+ for the spring and praised the additions of outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips, inside linebacker Devin Lloyd and first-round left tackle Monroe Freeling. Still, he pointed to the tight end spot as the area where the Panthers may have come up short.
“It would have been nice to see them land a weapon at tight end. They were a commonly mocked landing spot for Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq leading up to the draft, and I suggested David Njoku as a signing before he joined the Chargers, but that ship has largely sailed (unless they want 33-year-old Darren Waller). It’ll be up to Phillips and Lloyd to elevate this defense and [Bryce] Young to take up the mantle of franchise QB with the weapons available.”
That concern isn’t exactly unique. The Panthers have gone years without much receiving punch from the position, and 2019 was the last season a Carolina tight end topped 500 receiving yards, when Greg Olsen did it.
For now, though, the team appears comfortable with the group it has. Tommy Tremble is set to enter his sixth season and led Carolina’s tight ends with 249 receiving yards in 2025. He’s joined by 2024 fourth-round pick Ja'Tavion Sanders and 2025 fifth-round pick Mitchell Evans.
If the tight ends aren’t going to be the main source of passing-game production, the Panthers will need that to come from elsewhere. Tetairoa McMillan, the 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year, is heading into his second pro season. Jalen Coker is now under a three-year contract extension, Xavier Legette is facing a make-or-break 2025, and 2026 third-round pick Chris Brazzell II could be ready to help right away.
In Other News...
Panthers May Finally Have A Real Tight End Answer For Bryce Young
The Panthers have spent years trying to patch together a tight end room that never quite gave Bryce Young the kind of reliable middle-of-the-field answer every young quarterback needs. Since 2019, no Carolina tight end has gotten to 500 receiving yards, which helps explain why the position keeps coming up whenever the roster is discussed and why potential fixes tend to draw so much attention.
A few names already sit in the mix as Carolina weighs whether to trade, shop in free agency or simply keep looking for the right fit. Michael Mayer has been floated as a more sensible trade avenue than some other options, while Darren Waller still has enough juice to make the idea interesting after flashing in Miami, including a strong showing against the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium last season. Jonnu Smith, though, has emerged as the most practical target of the group, and if Carolina is serious about stabilizing this part of the offense, the choice may come down to whether it wants upside, familiarity or the cleanest path to making the position matter again. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Suddenly Linked To A Tight End Upgrade Bryce Young Needs
The Panthers have spent the offseason trying to make the roster sturdier around Bryce Young, adding help on defense with Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd and giving the future a little more upside with rookies like Monroe Freeling and Chris Brazzell II. The next obvious step is finding more reliable production at tight end, a spot that can make life easier for a young quarterback by cleaning up the middle of the field and giving him another dependable outlet when plays break down.
That is why the idea floating around ESPN caught some attention, even if it is still just that, an idea. Carolina has been linked to a potential move for a high-end tight end who has the kind of track record that would fit what the Panthers need, and Detroit's financial picture only adds to the speculation. Any deal would not be simple, though, because a trade would almost certainly have to come with real draft value and the kind of long-term commitment that turns a rumor into a major roster decision. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Newton Sounds Off After Troubling News About Former NFL Star
Chris Johnsons health news has landed with a jolt across the football world, and it has a lot of former players thinking beyond the diagnosis itself. The former running back carved out a remarkable NFL career from 2008 to 2017, highlighted by six straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons and a reputation as one of the fastest backs of his era, so hearing his name attached to a serious long-term illness naturally carries extra weight in league circles.
On his podcast, Cam Newton focused less on nostalgia and more on what comes next for the NFL and the people who played in it. Newton said he is very intrigued to see how the league responds and what its plan is to make the game safer while better protecting former players, a question that has only grown louder as more ex-NFL players have dealt with ALS. For Carolina fans, it was a reminder that the conversation around footballs toll does not end when a players career does. [Read more 🡒]