The Carolina Panthers and tight end Darren Waller have agreed to a one-year deal, according to multiple reports.

ESPN was the first to report the development.

Waller came out of retirement in 2025 to play for the Miami Dolphins. In nine games, Waller collected 24 receptions for 283 yards and six touchdowns. The Panthers will be the fifth team for Waller, who was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

Waller, 33, enjoyed his best seasons with the Raiders, posting back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons in 2019-20. He earned the lone Pro Bowl selection of his nine-year NFL career in 2020, when he posted 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns.

In 2024, Waller briefly retired from the NFL, saying, “the passion (has) slowly been fading.” This came two years after Waller signed a three-year, $51 million contract and one year after the Raiders traded him to the New York Giants. In 2023, Waller was again limited by injuries, as he appeared in only 12 games with 52 catches, 552 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Carolina Panthers depth chart: Tight end

• Tommy Tremble
• Mitchell Evans
• Ja’Tavion Sanders
• James Mitchell
• Feleipe Franks
• Caden Prieskorn

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