Panthers finally made the veteran free agent signing at a position fans have been begging the team to address all offseason long
The Carolina Panthers signed veteran tight end Darren Waller ahead of the team’s second preseason game, finally addressing the position fans have been begging the front office to add to all offseason.
Carolina Panthers fans can finally rejoice because general manager Dan Morgan has added a new veteran tight end to the roster to give quarterback Bryce Young a more dependable big-bodied target over the middle.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Panthers are expected to sign veteran tight end Darren Waller to a one-year deal. Waller had a strong season in 2025 after a brief retirement with the Miami Dolphins recording 283 yards and six touchdowns.
Waller will join a deep tight end room in Carolina that features Tommy Tremble, Ja’Tavion Sanders, Mitchell Evans, Feleipe Franks and others. With the addition of Waller, Sanders is officially on the hotseat as he’s a similar style pass catcher compared to the other TEs.
How Darren Waller fits into the Carolina Panthers’ offense and why the Panthers finally made this move
Panthers fans have been clambering for a tight end all offseason long whether it was top free agent such as Isaiah Likely and David Njoku or top prospects such as Kenyon Sadiq and Oscar Delp. Instead, the Panthers sat back and watched the tight end market pass by, until now.
Darren Waller can still unquestionably play. He proved, even amid coming out of retirement last season, to be a strong red zone target and a mismatch player up the seam. Tua Tagovailoa did well last season targeting him above the rim as a high point player and Waller’s receiving background still has legitimate upside. You need to be ready for the interruptions in availability, though. Waller was hurt last summer, then again after an explosive first few weeks on the active roster.
Waller’s a nice cherry on top piece who can be a situational target. But it’d be wise to not make him too central to your passing attack — lest you need to re-learn how to play without him.
The good news, the Panthers feel really confident in the other weapons on the roster, especially the developing Evans, who just had the play of the day during Wednesday’s training camp practice.
“That was a great catch by Mitch,” Canales said of the play. “It’s something we wanted to see, and really it’s just a matter of opportunity. And it was tight coverage; Bryce trusted him and gave him the ball. Mitch played big to the ball and made the play.”
With Waller set to join the room, Evans now has a valuable veteran to learn from. And Waller gives Young an experienced security blanket over the middle. It’ll be exciting to see how this all comes together, but it’s finally an addition that should please the fanbase.
