Panthers Sign Darren Waller to One-Year Deal
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- Darren Waller agreed to a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday, announced by his agency, joining a tight ends room that already includes Tommy Tremble, Mitchell Evans, Ja'Tavion Sanders, James Mitchell, and Feleipe Franks.
- Waller spent last season with the Miami Dolphins, where new Panthers associate head coach/offensive specialist Darrell Bevell served as passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach; in nine games Waller recorded 24 catches for 283 yards and six touchdowns.
- Waller, a 33-year-old (turning 34 in September) former sixth-round Ravens pick (2015) and 2020 Pro Bowler with the Las Vegas Raiders, came out of retirement in 2025 to join the Dolphins after a trade from the New York Giants; he has 374 career receptions for 4,407 yards and 26 touchdowns across nine seasons.
- The Panthers are currently at the 91-man roster limit (including an international exemption) and will need to make a corresponding move to add Waller, who will become the oldest non-specialist on the roster — Carolina entered Wednesday with just three non-specialists over 30.
- Ja'Tavion Sanders, a 2024 fourth-round pick and former starter, may now face a roster battle; he has struggled with ankle injuries the past two seasons and underwent surgery last year, while Waller and Sanders profile as pass-catching tight ends competing for similar roles.
- A source told ESPN the Waller move was not driven by injury to another tight end on the roster, and Carolina kept four tight ends (Sanders, Evans, Tremble, Mitchell) on its 53-man roster in 2025 — a number that could shift with Waller aboard.
Why it matters: Waller's arrival as a 34-year-old pass-catcher directly threatens 2024 fourth-rounder Ja'Tavion Sanders' roster spot, and Carolina kept only four tight ends on its 53-man roster last season — meaning the signing could force a corresponding cut just to make room under the 91-man limit.
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