Darren Waller is back in the kind of form that can swing a game in either direction, and the Carolina Panthers are already getting the full experience.
At 34 and more than two years removed from retirement, Waller wasn’t exactly a sure bet to matter again in the NFL. The New York Giants only had him for one season before he stepped away. Then the Miami Dolphins brought him back last year to address a need at tight end, and they got a front-row seat to the same wild ride Carolina is on now.
The Panthers signed Waller in early August after he sat unsigned deep into the offseason. He’s listed as the third tight end on the depth chart, but he has still found a real role in the offense.
What he’s done through two games in 2026 says everything about him at this stage. In a Week 1 loss to the Chicago Bears, Waller had just two catches for 28 yards. A week later, in a win over the Atlanta Falcons, he turned into the centerpiece of Carolina’s red zone work, catching two touchdowns on three receptions.
That’s the exact sort of boom-or-bust stretch Miami lived through in 2025. Waller appeared in only nine games because of a mid-season pectoral injury that landed him on injured reserve. In those nine outings, he was held to two receptions or fewer five times, disappearing for long stretches without much impact.
But when he was rolling, he was a problem. In Week 4, Week 5, Week 6 and Week 15, Waller put up 14 catches for 183 yards and six touchdowns.
Even if that Week 2 breakout becomes the norm in Carolina, the Dolphins still won’t have any reason to second-guess moving on. Greg Dulcich may not be a long-term starter, but Waller would have blocked the growth of rookies Will Kacmarek, Seydou Traore and Justin Joly if he were still in the building.
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The bigger part of the deal is what comes next for Miamis roster. Jones has to be carried on the active roster for at least three weeks, so the Dolphins will need to clear a spot to make the signing official in practice and on game days, a small move on paper that can still ripple through the back end of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
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For Miami, the larger takeaway is less about the top of the list than how teams are handling their own quarterbacks in the margins. The Dolphins have already come under scrutiny for not leaning enough into Malik Williss running ability, which is the kind of detail that can matter in a season when every advantage counts. With the quarterback picture still shifting this early, decisions like that can end up looking bigger as the weeks go on. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Already Have A Veteran Trust Problem After Two Weeks
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The evaluation also reaches beyond the obvious names on offense and defense, because special teams and the coaching staff are part of the equation too. For a team trying to settle into the season, the concern is not just who is earning more trust, but how quickly that trust can disappear when execution slips and the people in charge of the details are drawing scrutiny as well. [Read more 🡒]