Panthers’ latest addition can open up a world of possibilities for Bryce Young and Dave Canales but he’s going to have to prove it
The Carolina Panthers plan to bring in veteran tight end Darren Waller to push the tight end room going into the 2026 season, and he could easily work his way into becoming a key piece of this passing attack.
The Carolina Panthers announced a fascinating signing Wednesday night with the addition of veteran tight end Darren Waller. The former Pro Bowl tight end seemed like his days of playing football were over after retiring following the 2024 season, but Waller returned in 2025 with the Miami Dolphins and put together a strong season.
His arrival in Carolina finally gives the Panthers one of the top tight ends they’ve arguably had since Greg Olsen at a position fans have been begging the team to address throughout the entire offseason.
“We felt like he was a good fit and there was a lot of conversations back and forth about the vision and the group that he’s coming into,” head coach Dave Canales told reporters on Thursday. “Felt comfortable about that, found an agreement and we’ll bring him in.”
With Waller, there’s a lot to like in his game and he’s someone Canales had his eyes on for a while and finally got the opportunity lined up to make something happen.
“Just watching him over the years – he had a fantastic game here when they came last season and made some big plays against us,” Canales explained. “Just on brand with Dan [Morgan] and I. Just looking for ways to challenge our roster and challenge our rooms and bring different types of talent into the rooms.”
Darren Waller brings a rare skillset to the Panthers’ TE room that will fit this offense perfectly
Carolina has been building something that resembles a basketball team on offense. The height the Panthers possess with Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker, and what they planned to have in rookie wide receiver Chris Brazzell II, would have created matchup nightmares across the formation.
All of those pass catchers are tall, physical targets, and losing Brazzell hampered expectations for how the Panthers planned to run this offense. Adding in a player like Waller opens those possibilities back up for what the Panthers can do with their passing attack and gets them closer to what they envisioned when Brazzell was healthy.
“Really just the route craft,” Canales said when asked what he likes about Waller’s game. “I remember evaluating him as a wideout coming out of Georgia Tech. Making the transition to tight end took him a couple of years to settle into the position, but he improved his route craft. He’s fast, he’s six-foot-six and a half, so he really creates a dynamic possibility.”
Waller is not a traditional tight end by any means. The Panthers already have two of those in Tommy Tremble and Mitchell Evans. Waller operates more as a slot tight end, a route-running weapon for quarterback Bryce Young who can stretch the seam and make plays in the red zone. That’s an area where Carolina needed significant improvement.
The Panthers had only five touchdowns from the tight end position in the red zone last season. Waller had six by himself on six receptions in the red zone with Miami. He’s a big-play, big-body target in the red zone for Young and a legitimate seam stretcher down the field. Take it from safety Tre’Von Moehrig, who played with Waller with the Raiders, who simply said Waller is “different.”
Dave Canales made it clear Darren Waller will have to earn his spot on this team
The important part of this signing is that Waller is going to have to earn his place on this team. Even though Waller is a veteran coming in who is arguably the most talented player they now have at the position, the Panthers are not just handing him a role.
Canales stressed that point during his early conversations with Waller about the opportunity of bringing him to Carolina.
“This is a competition,” Canales said. “He knows that. He understands that that’s part of this deal and how we’re trying to challenge this roster. Talked to him last night and he’s fired up to come here and meet the guys.”
As for where Waller fits on this roster, the Panthers aren’t moving away from Tremble or Evans. Those two are going to stick. Felipe Franks should hold his spot as well given the special teams value he provides. The player Waller is pushing right now is Ja’Tavion Sanders, who was the one playing in the first preseason game at the Hall of Fame Game last week out of the top three tight ends on the roster.
That alone is a significant sign the Panthers were already evaluating Sanders closely, especially considering Sanders was dealing with an ankle injury earlier in the week.
It’s clear Sanders is the player the Panthers are really looking to push with the addition of Waller. Both will occupy the same role, and the Panthers plan to let the competition play out and see who comes out on top.
If Waller earns that spot, he can quickly find his way into a meaningful role in this offense given his red zone production, seam-stretching ability, and route-running ability. He has a real path to doing exactly that and being a big part of this passing attack.
