The Carolina Panthers‘ tight end room is one of the biggest question marks on the team.
Tommy Tremble, Mitchell Evans, and Ja’Tavion Sanders were the top options at the position in 2025, and the results were disappointing. None of that trio reached even 250 receiving yards.
You’d think that would force the team to make a major change over the offseason, but that didn’t happen. The team did add Darren Waller last month after it became clear that more help was needed, but it’s fair to question if that will be enough.
Currently, the team has five tight ends on the roster. It seems very unlikely for that to continue all season, and Sanders is definitely the most likely to lose his spot. Since being selected in the fourth round in 2024, the tight end has consistently disappointed.
If the Panthers do decide to move Sanders, there are a couple spots that make sense.
Ravens, Bengals Could be Interested in Sanders
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Zach Roberts of Panthers OnSI recently identified some logical landing spots for Sanders. The Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens both stand out as reasonable destinations.
The Bengals have Mike Gesicki listed as the starter, with not much depth behind him. Gesicki caught just 28 passes for 307 yards last year, so Sanders could challenge him for snaps.
“The Bengals have Mike Gesicki, but he’s not exactly the most elite tight end. The backup options there aren’t notable, either, so Sanders could easily slot in as another potential weapon for Joe Burrow,” Roberts explained. “It wouldn’t hurt to try.”
Then, Roberts mentioned the Bengals’ rivals, the Ravens. The Ravens lost Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar this offseason, so there’s definitely room for another tight end behind Mark Andrews.
“The Ravens have Mark Andrews, but he’s older and on the slow decline. The backup options aren’t great, either. Taking a flyer on a player like Sanders makes sense because if anyone can get him going, it’s Lamar Jackson,” Roberts said.
It seems like a change of scenery is the best possible outcome for Sanders. The tight end is still just 23, so he has plenty of time to revive his career with a different team.
Roberts thinks the Panthers would be lucky to get a sixth-round pick for Sanders at this point. As a fourth-round pick who has been disappointing, it seems unlikely the team would be able to get any more than that.
