Ja’Tavion Sanders isn’t too far removed from being a popular sleeper pick in the NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.
At least, on a timeline, that’s true. In perception and reality, though, Sanders is a long, long way from that.
The Panthers decided on Sunday that for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season, Sanders will be inactive.
They’ll take on the Chicago Bears in a matchup of defending division champs, and Sanders won’t be a part of the action.
Why Isn’t Ja’Tavion Sanders Playing?
Sanders isn’t playing because the Panthers made him inactive, and it’s not for an injury.
Rather, Sanders is a healthy scratch.
That’s never happened before.
Panthers TE Ja’Tavion Sanders is a healthy scratch for the first time in his career.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) September 13, 2026
Sanders was a fourth-round pick, No. 101 overall, by the Panthers in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Texas.
The 6-foot-4 target had 33 catches for 342 yards and a touchdown in 16 games in his rookie season.
Then last year, he played in 13 games and had 29 grabs for 190 yards and a score.
This year gets off to a brutal start for Sanders, who can only watch.
Panthers TE Depth Chart
The main reason that Sanders is missing out is that the Panthers chose to go with their other tight end options.
Tommy Tremble will be the starter. The former third-round pick has continued to prove his increasing value to the Panthers over the past couple years and earned the starting role.
The Panthers also have Mitchell Evans, a 2025 fifth-round pick, who does a lot of subtle things well for Carolina.
The wild card in all of this was Darren Waller, the veteran who first came out of retirement last season to play, and then signed this offseason in Carolina.
It’s not clear what exactly Waller can provide to the Panthers, but he’s going to be active in Week 1 to find out.
Meanwhile, Sanders is going to have to find a way to revive his career. Will it take a trade? Or maybe just an injury?
Whatever happens, this isn’t how it was supposed to work out for Sanders, especially after a promising rookie season. He’s got some work to do to come back from this.
Panthers’ Ja’Tavion Sanders Announcement is Bad News for TE’s Future