Darren Waller didn’t need a huge workload last season to make an impact — he caught just 24 passes, but six of them ended in touchdowns.

That’s really the idea behind the Carolina Panthers taking a chance on him this late in the offseason. They’re not expecting the 2020 version of Waller who piled up 107 catches in Las Vegas, and they’re not asking him to carry the tight end room every week either. Carolina already has younger, more well-rounded options who can handle the blocking and the routine snaps.

What they’re hoping for is much more specific. Waller still has the size and matchup ability to cause problems in the right situations, especially near the goal line. If they can put him on the field in those moments and give Bryce Young a big, reliable target when things tighten up, that alone could be enough to make this worth it.

Miami Already Found The Right Way To Use Him

Any conversation about Waller has to start with the reality of where he’s at physically, because that’s been the whole story for a while now. He’s basically been in and out of the lineup for years — 11 games in 2021, nine in 2022, 12 in 2023, then he stepped away completely in 2024. When he came back in Miami, it was more of the same stop-and-go stuff: a hip issue slowed him down early, a strained pec knocked him out after four games, and then a groin injury sent him back to injured reserve. In total, he played nine games and only started three. That’s just the reality of it.

So yeah, Carolina isn’t building anything around “full-time Darren Waller.” They can’t. And honestly, they don’t need to.

What they are betting on is the small but very real version of him that showed up in Miami. He only played 234 snaps all year, but still managed 24 catches on 34 targets for 283 yards and six touchdowns. And here’s the part that really stands out: inside the 20-yard line, he was automatic. Seven targets, six catches, six touchdowns.

Miami kind of laid it out for everyone early. Mike McDaniel made it clear Waller wasn’t going to be a 60-snap guy anymore — more like a situational weapon. And then in his first real game back, he plays just 16 snaps and still scores twice against the Jets. A week later, he goes 5-for-5 for 78 yards and a touchdown against Carolina, including a 34-yard grab right over the middle and a short red-zone finish to cap it off.

The old version of Waller was a workload monster — tons of targets, tons of routes, defenses constantly adjusting to him. That’s not who he is anymore, and Carolina knows it. But the interesting part is he doesn’t have to be that guy. He just has to be the “oh no, we’re inside the 15, better account for him” guy.

Similar to what Davante Adams has been for the Rams offense, just on a smaller scale. 

He still moves well enough to stress linebackers, and he’s still big enough that smaller defensive backs don’t really stand a chance once the field shrinks. That’s the sweet spot.

Carolina’s Tight Ends Already Handle The Regular Work

The weird thing about this signing is Carolina actually wasn’t hurting for tight ends. They already had Tommy Tremble, Ja’Tavion Sanders, and Mitchell Evans lined up to rotate again. Tremble put up 27 catches for 249 yards and two touchdowns last year. Sanders had 29 grabs for 190 yards and a score even while missing time, and Evans chipped in 19 catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie.

So it’s not like the room was empty. All three can block, all three know Dave Canales’ system, and all three are solid “do-your-job” guys. The catch is none of them really stretched the field or scared defenses. Nobody cracked 250 receiving yards, and as a group they actually scored fewer touchdowns than Waller did in just nine games.

And that kind of tells the story. It’s a good tight end room, just not a flashy one. It’s built for the grind — Tremble doing the dirty work, Sanders moving around and filling gaps, Evans developing into the steady all-around guy they hope he becomes. Waller is the one piece who actually changes the picture a little.

The other interesting part here is Darrell Bevell. He’s now Carolina’s associate head coach and offensive specialist, and he was in Miami last year as the passing-game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. So he’s already seen this version of Waller up close — what worked, what didn’t, and how quickly things went sideways when they tried to push him too far.

That kind of familiarity should help keep everyone honest. Because the biggest danger here isn’t Waller not working — it’s Carolina trying to turn him into something he’s not anymore.

Bryce Young Doesn’t Need Another Volume Target

Young's finally walking into a season where things don’t feel like they’re constantly being rebuilt around him. Last year was his best stretch yet — 3,011 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, a 63.6 percent completion rate, and an 87.8 passer rating. Not eye-popping MVP stuff, but real progress. Carolina even won the NFC South, and for a moment in the playoffs, Young had them up on the Rams late before everything slipped away in the final minutes.

Now the supporting cast actually looks like a supporting cast. Tetairoa McMillan is already the main guy in the passing game after winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. Jalen Coker, Xavier Legette, and the backs all give Young different outlets so it’s not just “force it to one guy and hope.” That’s important, because Waller doesn’t need — and honestly shouldn’t get — 90 targets to make this worth it.

He just needs to turn a handful of plays into easy answers.

Young was already pretty sharp near the goal line last season. Inside the 10, he went 16-for-23 with 12 touchdowns and just one pick. That’s efficient football. Waller just gives him another way to keep that going. If a linebacker is stuck on him, that’s a win for Carolina. If a safety cheats down, McMillan gets more space outside. If a smaller defender draws the assignment, Young can just throw it up and let Waller go get it — because even if the burst isn’t what it used to be, 6-foot-6 is still 6-foot-6.

Same thing on third down. Waller’s presence alone can help Young figure out what the defense is doing pre-snap, and when it’s time to throw, he doesn’t need a ton of separation. He just needs a window.

Of course, the risk is obvious. Waller hasn’t played a full, healthy season since 2020, and Carolina can’t pretend that’s not part of the deal. There are going to be weeks where he’s limited, maybe even games where he doesn’t suit up. That’s just reality at this point.

The one-year contract makes it easier to live with, especially since the offense isn’t built around him carrying anything heavy.

If Carolina tries to turn him into Greg Olsen 2.0, that’s probably going to go sideways fast. But if they keep it simple — 25, maybe 30 snaps a game, stretch the field a little, be the first read in the red zone — then this could actually work.

All stats courtesy of NFL Pro.

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