Waller Ready for Panthers' Season Opener | NFL News

0:00It's September 7th. This is NFL News Today, powered by AI, your Gridiron update. I'm Cory with the story. Alright, so the Carolina Panthers are gearing up to debut a major addition for their season opener against the Chicago Bears. Veteran Titan Darren Waller is expected to be on the field. He was brought in late this summer, and the team took a careful approach, easing him into practice after some soft tissue issues and a brief. Retirement. The plan was always to get him ready for game action, and it looks like week one is the target. Coach Dave Canalas even described him as looking big and fast, which is exactly what you want to hear. They've been increasing his workload in practice, and he's been getting reps with the first team. Even connecting with quarterback Bryce Young, this move is significant, because Waller, even if he's not putting up those massive yardish numbers from his pro-bull days, can still be a huge, red zone threat. He's tall, 6-foot-6, and can create mismatches against linebackers and safeties. Think about those crucial third downs, or when you're inside

1:04the 20 yard line, he gives Young a big, reliable target. Now, the big question is, how much they'll actually use him. He's not listed as the starter on the unofficial depth chart, with other Titans ahead of him. But that doesn't mean much given how late he joined the team. Dave has been patient, and Sunday will be the first real test to see how many snaps he's ready to handle. It's a calculated risk, but if Waller can provide that red zone efficiency and draw attention, it could open things up for the rest of the offense. We'll see how they deploy him against the bears.