One of the Carolina Panthers' newest additions will be ready to kick off the 2026 campaign with the rest of the team.
Head coach Dave Canales spoke with reporters on Friday, just ahead of this weekend's regular-season opener against the Chicago Bears. He was asked if tight end Darren Waller, who was signed
a little over three weeks ago, will be active for the game at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday."He's ready to go, and I'll leave it at that," Canales replied.
The short side of that short-and-sweet answer indicates that Canales, in a bit of gamesmanship, is not looking to reveal too much about their plans for Waller. The sweet side could give the Panthers offense an actual receiving threat at the tight end position, something they haven't fielded
for quite some time.
Not since 2019 has Carolina had a tight end go for at least 350 receiving yards in a single season. Waller may not have hit that number in 2025 with the Miami Dolphins, going for 283 yards on 24 grabs, but his six touchdowns over just nine games showed that the former Pro Bowler is still capable of making a dent.
Waller enters the weekend as the No. 3 tight end on the depth chart behind starter Tommy Tremble and 2025 fifth-round pick Mitchell Evans.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers HC Dave Canales is asked if TE Darren Waller will be active in Week 1 vs. Bears
