Darren Waller shines in his homecoming, with a full-circle, two-touchdown day for the Panthers

Waller initially retired from the sport after the 2023 season. He took 2024 off, and midway through the summer of 2025, he realized he still had a lot more in the tank. He made a comeback, signing with the Miami Dolphins and scoring six touchdowns in nine games. But he wasn’t preparing all offseason to play, and injuries hampered him throughout the season. So this year, he worked out all offseason, signing with the Panthers in training camp.

And that brought him back here, to Atlanta, where for years, he played his best ball.

“Riding the bus here from the hotel, it’s like I remember being there with friends,” he said, miming pointing to a building on the drive. “I remember the girl I used to date; we used to go to church there, just all these kinds of memories.

As a true Atlanta native, he also dreamed of returning to the Holy Land, Waffle House, for his standard order: “Sausage, egg and cheese, hash brown bowl, and depending on what kind of mood I’m in, either a double waffle or sometimes a single waffle.”

But time didn’t allow. That was fine. It wasn’t the reason he was here.

“Just soaking those things up and being like, it’s just cool to be here no matter what happens. Just be grateful.”