Ja’Tavion Sanders’ Panthers Downfall Nears Devastating End Amid 34-17 Preseason Win

The Carolina Panthers cruised to a 34-17 preseason win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday night, with Bryce Young and the starters finally finding rhythm. But the storyline dominating conversation around the team on Tuesday has nothing to do with the scoreboard. Tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders’ once-promising run in Carolina is reportedly nearing its end, with national outlets describing his standing on the roster as a “downfall” heading toward a “devastating conclusion.”

Sanders, a 2024 fourth-round pick out of Texas, arrived in Carolina with plenty of athletic buzz and immediately claimed the No. 0 jersey he wore in college. Through parts of three seasons, though, the production hasn’t matched the pedigree — just 532 yards and two touchdowns across 29 games entering this year, numbers that have left the Panthers searching for more out of the position even as they’ve cycled through injuries and lineup shuffles at tight end.

Darren Waller’s Arrival Changes the Math

The tipping point for Sanders appears to be the offseason signing of veteran Darren Waller, who reportedly showed up to camp in what head coach Dave Canales called “phenomenal shape.” Waller’s skill set closely mirrors Sanders’, and with Tommy Tremble and Mitchell Evans also occupying spots in the tight end room, Carolina now has a genuine numbers crunch. The Athletic’s latest 53-man roster projection listed Sanders as a notable cut, with Tremble, Waller, Evans and Feleipe Franks projected to make up the position group instead. Waller, Tremble, Evans and Sanders were all held out of Friday’s game against Jacksonville as the coaching staff continues evaluating the group before final roster decisions.

It’s a steep fall for a player some viewed as a potential breakout piece in Bryce Young’s passing attack. An SI.com breakdown earlier this year argued the Panthers needed to “end the Ja’Tavion Sanders experiment,” pointing to advanced metrics showing he’s neither a reliable target on passing downs nor an effective blocker on run plays — an unwelcome combination for a starting-caliber tight end. With Waller now healthy and impressing in camp, that argument has only gained steam, and Bleacher Report and Fox Sports both flagged Sanders’ situation as trending news Tuesday under headlines suggesting his time in Carolina is running out.

Young Sharp, King Sidelined for Finale

On the field Friday, the Panthers looked like a team building real momentum. Young went 5-of-6 for 49 yards and helped set up a touchdown in his second preseason appearance, while Carolina’s defense delivered enough stops to hold serve after Jacksonville trimmed an early 20-6 deficit — a game ultimately called early at the two-minute warning due to weather. The win pushed Carolina to 2-1 in the preseason as the roster bubble tightens ahead of cuts.

Backup quarterback Haynes King will not be part of the preseason finale against the Houston Texans. ESPN’s Mike Kaye reported King is dealing with a hamstring injury that will keep him out of Friday’s game, adding another variable to a Panthers depth chart that already features plenty of roster intrigue beyond the tight end position. King sat out the Jaguars game as well, along with cornerback Akayleb Evans, defensive tackle Cam Jackson, cornerback Will Lee and receiver Ja’seem Reed, as Carolina managed its roster bubble players carefully in the final stretch of the preseason.

For bettors tracking how the Panthers’ final roster shakes out before Week 1, keeping an eye on DraftKings promo code offers is a good way to get positioned for early-season NFL markets once Carolina’s depth chart is settled. The Sanders situation, in particular, could influence how oddsmakers and analysts view Carolina’s red-zone efficiency once the regular season begins, given how thin the pass-catching corps looks without a proven security blanket at tight end.

What Comes Next

The Panthers must trim their roster to 53 players in the coming days, and Sanders’ fate looks likely to be decided before the season opener. If he is released, he wouldn’t be without options — teams are frequently willing to take a flier on a former Day 2 pick with his athletic profile, even amid production concerns. For now, though, all signs point toward a tight end room in Carolina that no longer has room for the player who was supposed to be a long-term answer at the position.

Friday’s finale against Houston will offer one more look at how Canales wants to close out the preseason, even with King sidelined and several other regulars likely to see limited snaps. The more consequential decisions, though, will come off the field, as Carolina finalizes the 53-man roster that will open the 2026 season — with Sanders’ name squarely on the bubble.