Panthers' Mediocre Tight End Room Dodged Major Bullet with Mitchell Evans

Mitchell Evans' injury isn't as costly for Panthers' tight end room as it could've been.

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A growing and concerning theme at this year's Carolina Panthers training camp is injuries. It started on day one with EDGE Nic Scourton tearing his ACL and being carted off the field. The next gut punch to the roster was tight end Mitchell Evans, who isn't the alpha in that room but gets a fair amount of snaps for the Panthers.

On Tuesday during training camp, Evans was carted off the field after suffering an ankle injury. Anytime a player is carted off the field, it sounds like the worst-case scenario. Carolina's head coach spoke on the injury after camp and, luckily, said, "they are pretty optimistic," referring to the Panthers' medical staff.

On Wednesday, Sheena Quick reported that the injury was a low ankle sprain and that Evans will likely be back for Friday's Fan Fest practice, which is open to fans. This is a huge lift for the Panthers; Evans could be more important than people realize.

Mitchell Evans suffered a low ankle sprain and is expected back for Fan Fest on Friday evening.

Dave Canales says that Chris Brazzell aggravated the same knee (left) that held him out of the last two practices.#Panthers

— Sheena Quick (@Sheena_Marie3) July 29, 2026

Mitchell Evans' Presence in Carolina's Tight Ends Room

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The Panthers' tight ends room was bad even with Mitchell last season, ranking 30th in total yards. Another ranking that's alarming is the fact that PFF listed the 32 best tight ends in the NFL, and not one of those 32 hailed from Carolina.

This isn't a new development either. Not only did Carolina not have a tight end eclipse 400 yards in 2025, but that's been the case for the last six seasons. It's truly the one gaping hole in this Panthers offense that is starting to show more upside with Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker leading the passing game.

Evans posted just 19 receptions for 171 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 2025. That isn't anything to brag about, but it doesn't show why he is so important in this room. Evans brings the best combination of size and receiving ability. Standing 6'5" and weighing just under 260 pounds, the blocking upside is huge when the Panthers want to run 12 personnel and feed the backfield.

As a receiver, what sticks out is his reliability. Evans was targeted 22 times last season and caught 19 of those passes. He also posted a 110.4 passer rating when targeted. For context, Brock Bowers, the best tight end in the NFL, posted a 114.5 passer rating when targeted.

Obviously, Evans isn't as good as Bowers, but that number proves Evans has the highest upside in the Carolina tight ends room. Evans has the best chance to break the streak of no 400 yard tight ends for the Panthers.