Mina Kimes has right opinion on Bryce Young’s potential contract extension

To extend or not extend, that is the question. At least, that's the question as it pertains to Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers. In year three, there are enough signs of life, and there has been enough improvement to justify continuing down this path.

But eventually, the path will fork again. The Panthers will have to first decide about his fifth-year option, which they're likely to pick up. After that, they will eventually have to decide if he's worth an extension and when best to do it.

Mina Kimes broke it all down, and she provided the right take on the entire situation.

Why Bryce Young's contract situation is so tricky

Bryce Young is eligible for an extension following the 2025 NFL season. That means there's a non-zero chance the Panthers make a huge commitment in a few months. It's not likely, but it's possible.

Dissecting Bryce Young’s future in Carolina

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With @minakimes and @aminajadeTV pic.twitter.com/fTLSP9SFYo
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 3, 2026

Mina Kimes said, "I think that this is exactly what the fifth-year option is for. I don't feel that they should be comfortable giving him a long-term contract extension, but he has shown enough for them to want to see more."

Kimes admitted that this wait-and-see method will cost them more money. Young's value is lower, but his risk is higher. In the future, if the risk goes down, the value goes up. "It's just been so up-and-down," the analyst added.

She did say it's not all on Young, the rollercoaster nature of this team, but it's something they have to consider. Presently, Young's not quite able to overcome team deficiencies (or his own) on a weekly basis. That matters in the long run.

The Panthers have a Bryce Young conundrum

The Panthers have been desperate for a franchise QB since they foolishly and prematurely cut Cam Newton. Desperate teams more often than not make bad decisions and cost themselves down the line, like how the Panthers were desperate in 2023 to trade up for a QB.

In a perfect world, the Panthers would just go ahead and extend Young now. They can win with him, and with more time with Dave Canales, the results should improve overall. That would make his $25-$30 million salary a huge bargain.

But no NFL team is going to extend a quarterback who still occasionally has really awful games. Young's been much better in 2025, but games like vs. the 49ers or against the Seahawks still happen.

That means the Panthers essentially have to wait, which means they will have to pay more. They seem to believe, and I do as well, that Young is the franchise quarterback and is worthy of another contract, but they just can't commit to it yet.

That means his salary will rise over $40 million, and if he's that good in 2026, it could even reach $50 million. You don't even have to be that good to get that price tag. Just ask Kirk Cousins or Deshaun Watson.

It is alarmingly similar to the Trevor Lawrence situation. He showed promise, but awful coaching hurt for several years. Still, they extended him on a $55 million salary. Now, he's making good on that, but that's with a new coach.

Like Lawrence, there's a better version of Young that can be coached out of him, but there's no telling when that might happen or if it's Dave Canales who can do it. It's a tricky situation, and there's no perfect path.

The only thing that is clear is that he's not going anywhere. There's no viable free agency option, nor is drafting a quarterback wise. It's Bryce Young or bust for the time being.

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