The Carolina Panthers made one of the strangest tight end moves of the offseason on Wednesday, agreeing to a one-year deal with Darren Waller.
That alone is enough to turn heads. Waller is a former Pro Bowl tight end, but that honor is now six seasons in the rearview mirror. Since then, his career has taken one wild turn after another.
Drafted in 2015 in the sixth round by the Ravens, Waller spent just two seasons in Baltimore before being suspended for the entire 2017 season for PED reasons. He resurfaced with the Raiders in 2018, made his first and only Pro Bowl in 2020, then was traded to the Giants in 2023 for a third-round pick. After the 2023 season, he abruptly retired to pursue music.
The story didn’t stop there. Waller was traded to the Dolphins in 2025 and then unretired to play for Miami. Even after putting up six touchdowns last season, his year ended with fans remembering the sideline conversation between Waller and then head coach Mike McDaniel after the Dolphins owner came in and fired the coach.
Health has been the constant issue throughout the ride. Waller missed six games in 2021, all but nine games in 2022, five games in 2023, and all but nine games last year. That’s the big question now for Carolina: whether anything has changed.
From Tampa Bay’s point of view, the fit isn’t exactly terrifying. If the Panthers are counting on Waller to be a major piece of the offense, they’re already in trouble. At this stage of his career, he isn’t much of a difference-maker, and in Miami he spent more time on the sideline than on the field.
The Buccaneers have their own tight end issues to sort out after getting just two touchdowns from the position last season. Still, there’s nothing wrong with taking a little satisfaction in watching a division rival roll the dice on one of the oddest signings of training camp.
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