CHARLOTTE — Life has looked a lot different for Tommy Tremble the past few months.

At work, he's locked in on the sideline, working through his rehab, which lately has included a mano-a-mano wrestling match over a medicine ball with a member of the performance staff.

"You know I won every time, so it was fun," smirked Tremble.

At home, life has turned upside down after he and his wife Hope welcomed a baby boy this summer.

"People always say it's life-changing, and when I first had the kid, I was like, oh, it's pretty easy, he just sits there; he's like a potato all day.

Now that he's giggling, he's laughing, he's trying to talk back, just making words and all that stuff, it's like really, really fun to be with him. And my wife's a trooper, she's dealing with him 24/7 when I'm at work, and so I love her to death."

With all this change, Tremble is desperate for the one constant in his life—football—to be just that again. And he's close, so close, after having back surgery in May.

"It's tough because you get that football bug where you just want to be out there, you want to try to do the run, the plays, make a play, do all this stuff so it kind of pulls at your heartstrings a little bit because people are like, oh you missed camp that's the hardest part like aren't you happy you did?

"No, because like I love this stuff. So that was really tough, kind of being on the side, but I think trying to work as hard as I could on the side, so I can't even focus on that, made up for me just not feeling like I could play football."

The procedure sidelined him for the entire offseason, but it was worth the hassle, Tremble said Tuesday, since he feels it cleared out everything that had arisen over the years due to playing the sport.

"Football is a 100 percent injury rate, and it was something that just kept lingering around, so luckily we caught it in OTAs and just got it wrapped up with.

"I mean, this was kind of the end, be-all to kind of clear it out, get rid of it," explained Tremble. "After dealing with it for almost a year plus, it's nice to know that I can just play football and be me again without having that kind of weighed me down."

The veteran tight end, who signed a new contract this offseason, said he was able to run full speed around two to three months following the surgery, and hopes he'll be ready for Week 1.

"I think we take it day by day, you know, that's what the doctor said, and so taking it day by day. And try my best to be my best every day, and we'll see when it comes; hopefully I can, but we'll see."

This makes the second training camp in a row that Tremble has been unable to practice. Last year, a lingering hamstring injury kept him sidelined. His production when he returned to the field has ensured Tremble is still a viable part of this offense, though. He finished 2024 playing in 12 games and starting 11, bringing in 23 receptions for 234 yards and two touchdowns, as well as 12 first downs.

During his absence from camp, Ja'Tavion Sanders has been able to take first-team reps, fast-tracking his progress for his rookie season and what will now be his second year.

"I love JT, he's a good kid and a really good football player," Tremble praised. "And seeing him do what he's done, he's shoot, he's done it for almost two years in a row in camp, taking every rep, and he's took it like a trooper, man."

That progression with Sanders, coupled with Tremble's impact on the offense, has allowed Dave Canales to craft an offense that highlights the tight ends, which has become Tremble's favorite part of game days.

"It's a lot more fun when I, when the whole staff, everyone is collectively trying to get the tight end the ball," said Tremble.

"Having that confidence in our entire group is really nice, especially going into a week knowing hey we're getting these kind of routes, this kind of concepts, like it's really fun to go into a week, going in there and knowing that in the game it's going to happen.

"So I'm really excited for this year."

Offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu was held out of practice on Tuesday with an illness. Additionally, three players were in red no-contact jerseys: rookie outside linebacker Nic Scourton, Tremble, and offensive lineman Damien Lewis.