Popular post-draft free agent dream is officially dead for the Panthers - what Carolina does from here might not excite fans
Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (85) before the game at Bank of America Stadium. Bob Donnan-Imagn Images The Carolina Panthers continue to be quiet on the tight end front after watching free agent David Njoku sign with the Los Angeles Chargers and fans aren’t going to be happy about the reasoning behind it. Since Dan Morgan took over as the general manager of the Carolina Panthers, the offense has basically ignored the tight end position in terms of acquiring top talent at the position and actually making it a focal point in the passing game.
During the 2025 season, Carolina’s offense ranked 30th with 638 yards from the tight end position. With a young quarterback in Bryce Young, having a reliable big-bodied target over the middle should be a benefit for his development. Fans thought this was finally going to be the offseason Morgan invested in bringing a top option to the room, whether that was in free agency or in the draft with many experts linking the Panthers to Kenyon Sadiq in the first-round.
Ultimately, not a single tight end was added to the roster, so far. And the Panthers just sat idle again as another top name landed with a different team Monday morning. Carolina Panthers top fan-favorite target, David Njoku, signs with the Los Angeles Chargers Free agent tight end David Njoku agreed to a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers that’s only worth up to $8 million, a bargain deal for a player with over 4,000 career yards and 34 career touchdowns.
Sources: The #Chargers have agreed to terms with former #Browns TE David Njoku, giving him a 1-year deal worth up to $8M. After nine years with Cleveland, Njoku moves on to catch passes from Justin Herbert in a deal done by @malkikawa of @FirstRoundMgmt . pic.
twitter. com/3nET4eEwNo — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 11, 2026 Even before the draft, Njoku was a top free agent target fans wanted to see Morgan bring to Carolina. He would have been an immediate upgrade to the room and seeing the final price tag he landed on the market likely makes Carolina fans sick to see this morning.