Dave Canales Explains Why Panthers Signed Darren Waller

The Carolina Panthers entered the offseason with a clear need at the tight end position.

Tommy Tremble, Mitchell Evans, and Ja'Tavion Sanders were the team's primary tight ends in 2025, and none of that trio impressed all that much. Surprisingly, the team went through free agency and the draft without adding to the room.

The hope was that Evans or Sanders would take a step forward this summer and prove they can handle the starting role. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened, and entering this week, the position was still a huge question mark.

On Wednesday, the team decided to sign veteran Darren Waller. It was an interesting move as Waller proved in 2025 that he can still be a solid pass-catcher, especially in the red zone. On Thursday, head coach Dave Canales provided some insight into why the team chose to bring Waller in.

Canales Wants to Motivate Tight End Room

Waller is now by far the most accomplished tight end on the Panthers' roster. It's unclear how much he will contribute in 2026, but it's clear Canales is excited about the move.

"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 said about Waller. "This is [general manager] Dan [Morgan] and I looking for ways to challenge our roster and rooms."

As Canales mentioned, Waller had his best game of the 2025 season against the Panthers. The veteran caught five passes for 78 yards and one score in the Dolphins' 24-27 loss to Carolina. Clearly, Waller's impressive performance stuck in Canales' mind.

The coach also mentioned wanting to "challenge" the roster. It's hard not to read that as a direct challenge to Sanders in particular. Sanders was once seen as the future of the team's tight end spot, but even before the Waller signing, Sanders was down to third on the depth chart.

It will be interesting to see if Waller can join the team and earn the starting spot with less than a month remaining until the regular season. In 2025, Waller caught 24 passes for 283 yards and six touchdowns in just nine games.

Waller will soon turn 34, but he proved in 2025 that he can still be a reliable red-zone target. The tight end might not be the player he once was, as he had over 1,000 yards in two different seasons, but he's probably an upgrade over the team's other options.