Sep 10, 2026, 10:33 AM ET

Carolina Panthers tight end Darren Waller is receiving positive buzz from the Carolina coaching staff as he prepares to be ready for Week 1. Head coach Dave Canales had this to say about the veteran tight end, on Panthers Wire, "Big and fast. The offensive stuff, the playbook stuff has been really smooth, really easy for him. And we have totally different terminology then where he was at in Miami before. Intelligent guy, hard worker. So he's been great from a mental standpoint." Waller played in nine games for the Miami Dolphins last year and caught 24 passes on 34 targets for 283 yards and six touchdowns. At age 33, Waller is still in great shape and is a threat in the red zone. He could emerge as a big target for quarterback Bryce Young in the target areas. He could be an under-the-radar tight end option.--Brian Buckey - RotoBaller
Source: Panthers Wire, USA Today

Sep 7, 2026, 2:36 PM ET

Carolina Panthers tight end Darren Waller walked into practice on Monday with a helmet and uniform, according to Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer. Per The Associated Press' Steve Reed, Waller added on Monday that he is practicing as if he will make his Panthers debut in Week 1 on Sunday, Sept. 13, against the Chicago Bears. The Panthers have eased the 33-year-old veteran into the fold as he continues to work his way into playing shape in 2026. When asked how Waller has looked, head coach Dave Canales said, "Big and fast." The former sixth-rounder by the Baltimore Ravens in 2015 from Georgia Tech really took off after joining the Raiders, posting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020 with 197 receptions, 2,341 yards, and 12 touchdowns in 32 games played. After retiring in 2024, Waller resurfaced to join the Miami Dolphins last year, posting a 24-283-6 line on 34 targets in only nine games played. Durability is a major concern, but when healthy and active, Waller is expected to be the top pass-catching TE for quarterback Bryce Young, potentially giving him some early-season waiver-wire appeal if he produces. Waller is only rostered in 2% of Yahoo leagues at the moment.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Charlotte Observer - Mike Kaye

Sep 6, 2026, 9:45 PM ET

Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders might not be as appealing of a fantasy option as he was earlier in the summer. The Panthers recently signed veteran tight end Darren Waller to a deal for the 2026 season. He has been taking first-time reps, which pushes the rest of the tight ends down a spot. The latest unofficial depth chart has Sanders listed as third behind Waller and Tommy Tremble. The presence of Waller is certainly going to hurt Sanders' path to playing time. The 23-year-old still has decent upside as a dynasty stash, but he isn't someone who should be rostered in redraft formats to begin the season.--Andy Webb
Source: Pro Football Reference

Sep 2, 2026, 10:02 PM ET

Carolina Panthers veteran tight end Darren Waller continues to ramp up for the start of the 2026 season and was in full pads while taking part in team drills with the first-team offense in Wednesday's practice, according to Kassidy Hill of the team's official website. "It was good," head coach Dave Canales said of Waller's practice. "Just backed him off a little bit (Tuesday), let him go today. Got RVAs (routes versus air) in, had a couple of nice targets out there on the field, made one catch; another one, Bryce progressed to somebody else. But he looked fast. He looked huge. So it was good to see his big frame out there moving around." After signing late in training camp on Aug. 12, the 33-year-old Waller figures to be the team's top pass-catching tight end for quarterback Bryce Young if he can stay healthy. After coming out of retirement to play for the Miami Dolphins in 2025, Waller only played in nine games and caught 24 passes for 283 yards and six touchdowns. The former Pro Bowler had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2019 and 2020, but Waller is not the same player as he was back then, and he will likely be eased into the offense in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears. Waller will for sure be a red-zone weapon for Young because of his size (6-foot-6, 245 pounds), but outside of two-TE leagues, he will probably go undrafted.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Panthers.com - Kassidy Hill

Aug 27, 2026, 1:55 PM ET

Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders has seen his redraft outlook take another hit with Darren Waller now working into the first-team offense. Sanders already had competition from Tommy Tremble and Mitchell Evans, and Carolina's latest unofficial depth chart lists him third at the position. Waller is still buried on that chart while he ramps up, but the practice usage tells a different story. The veteran got his most extensive team-drill work Wednesday, including snaps with Bryce Young and the starters, and Young connected with him several times during the joint practice against Houston. Sanders is coming off a disappointing second season in which he caught 29 of 34 targets for 190 yards and one touchdown in 13 games, down from 342 receiving yards as a rookie. Waller, meanwhile, scored six touchdowns in nine games for Miami last season and gives Carolina another proven receiving option at tight end. His age and injury history leave some uncertainty, but Sanders' immediate path to routes and targets has narrowed considerably. RotoBaller recently recommended leaving him undrafted in most 2026 leagues, which fits where his redraft value stands now.--Bruno Mulé
Source: RotoBaller

Aug 26, 2026, 11:53 AM ET

Carolina Panthers veteran tight end Darren Waller was seen lining up in the slot with the first-team offense in training camp practice on Wednesday, and per Kyle Bailey, it looks like Waller still has "some real burst off the line." The 33-year-old came out of retirement last year to join the Miami Dolphins, but he managed to play in only nine games while catching 24 of his 34 targets for 283 yards and six touchdowns. Fantasy managers should not be getting too excited yet about Waller in his new digs in Carolina, but it is notable that he is mixing in with the first-team offense in practices. The Panthers are going to continue to ease Waller into the fold, but if he is healthy, he figures to be their top pass-catching tight end option over Ja'Tavion Sanders, who could now be on the roster bubble. Waller is a former Pro Bowler who had two straight 1,000-yard seasons with 12 combined touchdowns in 2019 and 2020 with the Las Vegas Raiders. Durability is the biggest question mark for the oft-injured Waller as he embarks on his 10th NFL season in 2026. Right now, he is merely a sleeper at the position in two-TE fantasy leagues.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Kyle Bailey

Aug 24, 2026, 9:47 PM ET

Carolina Panthers tight end Darren Waller is not expected to play in the preseason finale against the Houston Texans. Head coach Dave Canales said, "he'll pop into team drills, and we'll get him some exposure against the Texans in joint practices this week." Waller signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with Carolina last week and appears to be in incredible shape heading into his tenth NFL season. Last season with the Miami Dolphins, Waller caught 24 of 34 targets for 283 yards and six touchdowns in nine games, ranking TE14 in half-PPR fantasy points per game. The former Raiders star tight end is currently ranked TE33 in RotoBaller's positional rankings and is unlikely to be a key fantasy contributor this season.--Nathan Harvey
Source: Anthony Rizzuti - Panthers Wire

Aug 21, 2026, 1:02 PM ET

Carolina Panthers tight end Darren Waller is in phenomenal shape heading into the 2026 season. Waller said his conditioning is "Night and day" compared to last season. Waller reportedly tore his quad two weeks after unretiring and signing with the Miami Dolphins last season, which kept him out for eight games in 2025. Despite the injuries and the Dolphins' lackluster passing attack, Waller still managed 283 yards and six touchdowns in nine games. Now in Carolina, head coach Dave Canales is excited about what Waller brings to the table, saying, "It's a unique element that he brings to whatever offense he's been a part of." Currently ranked TE35 in RotoBaller's positional rankings, Waller looks primed for a solid season that should surpass his ADP in 2026.--Nathan Harvey
Source: Joe Person - The Athletic

Aug 17, 2026, 8:49 PM ET

The Carolina Panthers are easing veteran tight end Darren Waller into action, according to Mike Kaye of ESPN.com. Waller signed with the Panthers five days ago, but he hasn't participated in a practice or game yet. Head coach Dave Canales said that he's not expected to get involved in the team's joint practices with the Jaguars that start Wednesday, but he might still get in uniform to participate in drills with quarterback Bryce Young. Waller is now 33 years old, so we're not too surprised that the Panthers are taking things slow and easing him in. His exact role and usage this season are uncertain, but he showed that he was still capable of producing last season, when he caught six touchdown passes across nine games with the Dolphins. He currently ranks as the TE35 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for 2026.--Andersen Pickard
Source: Mike Kaye

Aug 13, 2026, 12:07 PM ET

ESPN's Mike Kaye writes that Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders "might need to battle to keep his job" in Carolina after the addition of veteran Darren Waller on a one-year deal on Wednesday. Sanders has struggled with ankle injuries over the last two seasons and had surgery for his most recent ankle injury last season. The Panthers kept Sanders, Mitchell Evans, Tommy Tremble, and James Mitchell on their 53-man roster in 2025, but with Waller now on board, a dynamic shift could be coming to the team's TE room. Evans and Tremble are traditional TEs, with Waller and Sanders primarily pass-catchers. The 34-year-old Waller will become the oldest non-specialist on the roster when he officially signs. Kaye observes that the Panthers entered Wednesday with just three non-specialists over 30 years old. Feleipe Franks is also held in high regard for his contributions on special teams, which could push Sanders off the roster at the end of the preseason.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com - Mike Kaye

Aug 12, 2026, 9:00 PM ET

Former Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller and the Carolina Panthers reached an agreement on Wednesday on an undisclosed one-year deal, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Waller, 33, will join a TE room in Carolina that already includes Ja'Tavion Sanders, Tommy Tremble, and Mitchell Evans. The former sixth-round pick out of Georgia Tech came out of retirement (after not playing in 2024) to play in nine games last year with the Miami Dolphins, catching 24 of 34 targets for 283 yards and six touchdowns. At 6-foot-6 and 238 pounds, Waller has always been a problem for defenses in the red zone, and he has 26 total touchdown catches in his nine years in the NFL. However, injuries were an issue for most of his career, and he missed time in 2025 with hip, groin, and pectoral issues. It's unclear right now how much of a role Waller will have with the Panthers, but his addition cannot be good news for Sanders' fantasy value. At best, Waller will be a touchdown-dependent, TE2 option in two-TE leagues in 2026 if he can actually stay on the field.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter

Aug 4, 2026, 1:35 PM ET

Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders (ankle) left Tuesday's training camp practice with an ankle injury, but head coach Dave Canales said he had a great day, according to Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer. It doesn't sound like Sanders suffered a serious injury, but we'll keep an eye on his status moving forward. The 23-year-old former fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft from the University of Texas had a disappointing sophomore campaign in 2025, playing in only 13 regular-season games while catching 29 passes for 190 yards and one touchdown. Sanders had a 33-342-1 line in 16 games as a rookie, so he hasn't exactly moved the needle much in fantasy football early in his NFL career. Going into Year 3, Sanders is expected to be Carolina's primary pass-catching TE, but he also has to contend with both Tommy Tremble and Mitchell Evans. The Panthers' offense just hasn't relied enough on the TE position to make Sanders matter in most fantasy football leagues. Sanders is outside of RotoBaller's top-41 rankings at the position for 2026.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Charlotte Observer - Mike Kaye

Jul 28, 2026, 11:55 AM ET

Carolina Panthers tight end Mitchell Evans (leg) injured his left leg in 11-on-11 team drills in training camp practice on Tuesday and was carted off the field, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. The specific nature of Evans' injury is unclear, but it doesn't look good. The 23-year-old was taken in the fifth round in last year's NFL draft out of Notre Dame, and he caught 19 of his 25 targets for just 171 yards and two touchdowns in 17 regular-season games (10 starts) in his first year in the NFL with Carolina. Evans was expected to once again take on a rotational role at tight end with the Panthers in his second year in the league behind top pass-catching TE option Ja'Tavion Sanders, which makes Evans avoidable in pretty much all fantasy leagues. Hopefully, Evans avoids a potentially season-ending leg injury. UPDATE: Evans likely just suffered a rolled ankle on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press' Steve Reed.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Athletic - Joe Person

Jul 24, 2026, 9:39 AM ET

Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders was limited to only 12 games in 2025 as he dealt with a high-ankle sprain early in the year before breaking his fibula in Week 17. While he showed some promising flashes, whether because of his injuries or an offensive system that has not asked much of its tight ends in the passing game, Sanders was never a consistent contributor, failing to reach 35 receiving yards in any game after Week 2 and being held out of the end zone until Week 16. Sanders is fully recovered from his late-season injury, and while the Panthers did not make any meaningful additions to the position through free agency or the draft, head coach Dave Canales has never had a tight end reach 50 receptions, 500 yards, or five touchdowns in his time as play caller for either the Panthers or Buccaneers. Despite his obvious physical abilities, any calls for a Year 3 breakout from Sanders involve a fair amount of wishful projection, and he is likely a player that will start the year on waivers in most 2026 redraft leagues.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller