The Carolina Panthers are one of a dozen NFL teams that have four tight ends on their 53-man roster. Each of those tight ends plays a specific role for the team, something a lot of the league’s offenses do not have the luxury of. Darren Waller, a former Pro-Bowler, was signed early on this season. He provides a pass-catching threat and a big target in the end zone. The team drafted Ja’Tavion Sanders and Mitchell Evans in 2024 and 2025, but neither has found a rhythm, with Sanders a healthy scratch in every game this season. Evans, a former fourth-rounder out of Notre Dame, has shown flashes of efficiency in the screen game, but the ex-Fighting Irishman lacks the sticky hands needed for a true pass-catcher at the position. Their primary weapon at tight end has been another Notre Dame alum, Tommy Tremble; he is key to Carolina's success moving forward, and here is why.
The Panthers drafted Tremble in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and as he enters his sixth pro season at just 26, he still has room to grow, even if the consensus is that he has found his role in Charlotte. Tremble has never eclipsed 30 receptions in a season. He had 27 last year, his career high, and it led many people to believe he will never be a true top option in the high-octane Panthers offense. 2026 has been a different story for the six-foot-four, 247-pounder. He currently boasts the seventh-highest run-blocking grade in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. The 71.9 mark is the highest of his career through a five-game span. His big frame often makes him the lead blocker on run plays, even before the offensive tackle. The Panthers run the ball with Chuba Hubbard behind Tremble because they know how ferocious the former third-rounder is when blocking downhill, but they also use him a lot in play-action situations.
It is not far-fetched to say that Tremble is the most important piece of the Carolina offense, and he proved that with two receiving touchdowns in their Week Six win against the Philadelphia Eagles. Number 82 in black and blue has been uber-efficient in his role, while still expanding his skill set. Tremble may never become the most electric tight end in the league, but that doesn't diminish the work he is doing for the Panthers. His ability to impact the game as a blocker while capitalizing on opportunities in the passing game gives the Panthers a unique weapon at the position. With plenty of young talent and upside on the offensive side of the ball, including Tetairoa McMillan, a 23-year-old receiver unlocking that offense, Tremble’s role is bound to stay big, and he seems perfectly fine with that.
