Darren Waller felt the love in his Atlanta homecoming.
The tight end had two touchdowns in the Carolina Panthers'34-3 beatdown of the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Sept. 20. The first one came in the second quarter on a seven-yard pass from Bryce Young, where Waller tiptoed in the corner of the end zone to put Carolina up 20-3. The second score came in the third quarter and was a 12-yard dart from the quarterback that the tight end reached behind to grab and laid out to boost the lead to 27-3.
Waller finds his way into the end zone 🔥
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) September 20, 2026
📺 FOX#CARvsATL pic.twitter.com/oRZM2RqrVO
After the second touchdown, Waller stretched his arms out to the sides in celebration and then found a Panthers fan in the crowd and handed him the football.
The game took place
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium close to where Waller grew up, "about 30 minutes from the stadium," he told DaShawn Brown of Charlotte's WSOC-TV after the win. He had family and his high school football coach in the stands. He played college football at Georgia Tech and said the game had him reflect on his "football journey."
"Just super amped up and grateful for the opportunity to play here with this team," he said in a clip posted to the reporter's X account. "Just at this point in my career, to have this opportunity is a blessing."
Waller joined the Panthers this offseason on a reported one-year contract. He spent last season with the Miami Dolphins after coming out of retirement. He said he was leaving football in 2024 after a season with the New York Giants. He was dealing with injuries and said that he was losing love for the game.
The tight end was drafted in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. He struggled with substance abuse and spent the 2027 season in rehab. He was picked up by the then-Oakland Raiders in 2018 and had two 1,000-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020, the season that he was named to the Pro Bowl.
Waller has utilized music as a creative outlet and to help him on his mental health journey. Shortly after signing with Dave Canales' squad,he released the reflective "Blindfolded."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Darren Waller scores 2 TDs for Panthers in Atlanta homecoming
