Panthers secure Waller in one-year deal to reshape tight end group
The 33-year-old tight end becomes the oldest non-specialist on the roster as the team navigates a 91-man limit constraint.
The Carolina Panthers have reached an agreement with free-agent tight end Darren Waller on a one-year contract, a league source confirmed to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The signing brings the 33-year-old former Pro Bowler to Carolina, where he will join a tight end group that includes Tommy Tremble, Ja’Tavion Sanders, and Mitchell Evans.
Waller spent the 2025 season with the Miami Dolphins, a move that reconnected him with Panthers associate head coach and offensive specialist Darrell Bevell. Bevell served as Miami’s passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach during Waller’s tenure there. Waller, who originally entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2015, came out of retirement in 2025 after a one-year hiatus in 2024.
During his nine games with the Dolphins in 2025, Waller recorded 24 receptions for 283 yards and six touchdowns. The move was not prompted by an injury to existing tight ends on the Panthers’ roster. However, the acquisition is likely to impact the roster dynamics for Sanders, a former starter who has struggled with ankle injuries over the past two seasons and underwent surgery for his most recent ailment last year.
Waller’s addition introduces a shift in positional utility. While Tremble and Evans are traditional tight ends, Waller and Sanders are primarily pass-catchers. This dynamic may force Sanders to battle for his job, particularly as the Panthers look to manage their roster limit. Waller, who turns 34 in September, will become the oldest non-specialist on the team, joining only two other players over the age of 30 in that category.
The Panthers are currently at the 91-man roster limit, including an international exemption, and must make a corresponding move to accommodate Waller. The exact financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed, nor has the identity of the player who will be cut been confirmed. The tight end room also features fifth-round pick Mitchell Evans, veteran James Mitchell, and special teams contributor Feleipe Franks.
