The Carolina Panthers recently picked up the fifth-year option on quarterback Bryce Young. That is going to keep him in Carolina through at least the 2027 season, but it still leaves the question open about his long-term future with the Panthers.
What would end any questions about whether or not Young is going to be that long-term answer at quarterback for the Panthers would be a contract extension. For now, though, Carolina GM Dan Morgan says it is still being discussed internally.
“That’s something, here internally, that we’ll keep talking through,” Morgan said. “We’ll be in touch with Bryce’s agent and we’ll figure it out at the right time. Right now, I know Bryce is focused on getting better every single day. We obviously love him. He’s getting better year after year, becoming a great leader for us and, really, mastering Dave and Brad Idzik’s offense. So, we’re excited about Bryce. When the contract happens, we’ll see about that. But we’re excited about him and our future here in 2026.”
Young was the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, having previously been the Heisman Trophy winner at Alabama. At the time, the major knock on Young was his size.
It would end up being a difficult transition to the NFL for Young. His rookie-year coaching staff was fired partway through the year. Meanwhile, Young struggled with turnovers, as he only had 11 touchdowns to 10 interceptions on the year. He was also sacked 62 times.
Since the Dave Canales-led staff has taken over, Young has shown a good amount of improvement. That culminated in the 2025 season, when the Panthers won the NFC South, and Young threw for a career high 3,011 yards and 23 touchdowns.
What Bryce Young Needs to do for a Contract Extension with the Carolina Panthers
GettyCarolina Panthers QB Bryce Young
One thing is clear, the Carolina Panthers want Bryce Young to be their franchise quarterback. It’s just that he needs to prove he can fill that role and that 2025 is something he’s currently building on.
Those extension talks are very real. However, as Jared Dubin of CBS Sports explained, Young is still proving himself.
“They brought in Chris Brazzell as another option at wide receiver,” Dubin wrote. “Carolina turned over the backup quarterback room, bringing in Kenny Pickett and Will Grier after the departure of Andy Dalton. Young already had his fifth-year option picked up, and needs to prove that season that he’s worthy of a lucrative extension.”
Bryce Young is Looking to Avoid Complacency in 2026
GettyCarolina Panthers QB Bryce Young
It could be easy enough to sit back and expect the same success that Bryce Young found in 2025 to follow him into 2026. That’s not the attitude he’s taking, though, as he looks to avoid any complacency this offseason.
“Obviously, we want to make sure that we can be consistent with some of the positives from last year,” Young said. “But, also, we understand that last year was last year. This is a new season. We all start 0-0. There’s no carryover. We’re not entitled to anything.”
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