The tight end room became one of the most intriguing areas for the Carolina Panthers this summer. And as we head closer towards the regular season, it's also now one of the team's more crowded position groups.
On Sunday night, the Panthers cracked down to their initial 53-man roster for the 2026 campaign. The list included five tight ends, the most Morgan and his front office has carried over in their three years running the show in Carolina.
Morgan spoke with reporters on Tuesday, and explained why.
"I think it really comes down to each of those guys having specific skill sets that we like," Morgan replied. "If you go down the line, with Tommy [Tremble]—a really good blocker and receiver. Mitch [Evans]—just a big body, wide blocker who's also
a very capable wideout for us.
"You go down the list, and Darren Waller—I think he has a unique skill set that I think we can utilize. I know Coach [Dave] Canales and his staff are really excited about having him and what he can bring to our offense, different dimension to our offense."
Waller, who was officially signed two weeks ago, could bring the type of pass-catching production the Panthers have missed for the past handful of seasons. Even at 33 years old (and 34 on Sept. 12), the former Pro Bowler proved he still has something left in 2025—where he scored six touchdowns in just nine games for the Miami Dolphins.
The presence of Ja'Tavion Sanders is also interesting, especially considering the recent rumors about a potential departure. Sanders, a fourth-round pick from 2024, hasn't exactly lived up to expectations—having recorded just 62 catches for 532 yards and one touchdown in his two pro campaigns.
Along with Waller and Sanders, the Panthers are currently rostering their starter in Tremble, a 2025 fifth-round pick in Evans and a special-teams ace Feleipe Franks.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers GM Dan Morgan explains keeping 5 TEs on initial roster
