​Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller. GettyThe career resurrection of former Baltimore Ravens tight end Darren Waller continues.“Former Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller and the Carolina Panthers reached agreement today on a one-year deal, per source,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account on Wednesday night.Waller, 6-foot-6 and 238 pounds, came out of retirement and brought his career back to life with the Miami Dolphins in 2025 on a 1-year, $3 million contract.Waller was drafted by the Ravens in the 6th round (No. 204 overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Georgia Tech and played his 1st 4 seasons in Baltimore — a stretch that included multiple suspensions for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, including the entire 2017 season.The Panthers are coming off their 1st NFC South Division title since 2015.“To add to this, I’m told by a league source that this move is not injury-related,” ESPN’s Mike Kaye wrote on his official X account. “Waller played under new Panthers associate head coach Darrell Bevell in Miami last season. Bevell was the passing game coordinator for the Dolphins and Waller is a pass-catching tight end.”Waller was a Pro Bowl selection for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020.“During a rough 2025 for the Dolphins, Waller’s comeback saw surprising success and offered one of the club’s few highlights,” NFL.com’s Grant Gordon wrote on July 31. “Waller’s best years were 2019-2020 with the Raiders, turning in back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and earning a Pro Bowl selection.”Darren Waller Buzzy Name for Ravens in OffseasonIn April, Sports Illustrated’s Jason La Canfora listed Waller as the “Best Fit” for the Ravens in free agency.Waller was incredibly effective with 24 receptions for 283 yards and 6 touchdowns in just 9 games for the Dolphins in 2025.“(Waller) didn’t unretire like three times to end up signing with some scrub team like the Giants and Dolphins teams he was spinning his wheels with,” La Canfora wrote. “He still has more big-play ability at this stage than Mark Andrews and won’t cost you close to the $13M they overpaid to extend Andrews at a mind-numbing time. After being one that got away given how he left Baltimore in the first place, it would be a cool circle closing to grab him at the end of his career. Instead of wasting more money on overpaid wide receivers at the very end, Waller can be that veteran presence and voice of reason, and with him overcoming addiction and achieving what he has, he’d be a strong presence given how inexperienced this coaching staff is.”Darren Waller’s Strange Path to NFL StardomWaller made a bizarre decision to retire and launch a music career following the 2023 season, but returned to the NFL in 2025, when the Dolphins traded a 2026 6th-round pick to the New York Giants for Waller and a 2027 7th-round pick.The path to NFL stardom for Waller actually began with some pretty tough lessons with the Bal