The Carolina Panthers plan to sign tight end Darren Waller to a free-agent deal, a league source confirmed to The Athletic on condition of anonymity because the deal has not yet been finalized. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The deal adds another chapter to what has been an up-and-down career for Waller, who was ranked No. 88 on The Athletic’s Top 150 free agents list this offseason and ninth among tight ends, but went unsigned through the opening weeks of training camp.
The 33-year-old played in nine games for the Miami Dolphins last season after coming out of a one-year retirement and being acquired in a trade from the New York Giants. He made three starts. Waller’s six receiving touchdowns were tied with Jaylen Waddle for the team lead and marked the second most in a single season in his career. He had 283 yards on 24 receptions.
Waller was largely a disappointment during his one season with the Giants after being acquired from the Las Vegas Raiders for a third-round pick in 2023. Injuries limited him to 12 games, and he finished with 552 receiving yards and one touchdown. He retired ahead of the 2024 season before returning a year later.
For a brief stretch with the Raiders, he was one of the best tight ends in football. He had back-to-back seasons of more than 1,100 receiving yards, punctuated in 2020 by a Pro Bowl campaign in which he had 107 catches for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns — all career highs.
A sixth-round pick in 2015 by the Baltimore Ravens, Waller’s career was nearly derailed by substance abuse issues that led to a four-game suspension in 2016 and a season-long suspension in 2017. It wasn’t until he was signed off the Ravens’ practice squad by the then-Oakland Raiders in 2018 that he got back on an active roster.
This story will be updated.
