Panthers insider lays out how Bryce Young can earn a massive new contract

Bryce Young appears to be trending toward a big payday.

Nov 30, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) takes the field before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Bryce Young's future is the topic of debate these days. A couple of ESPN reporters discussed it, with one fully expecting the Carolina Panthers to pick up his fifth-year option. It seems like the most logical choice.

But the question remains, what after that? That keeps Young under contract through 2027, but the Panthers, on their current trajectory, might well be a playoff team by then. Young will eventually cost, and one insider detailed the path to a major extension.

How Bryce Young can get paid like the best QBs in the NFL

Nov 30, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) hands the ball off during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

For now, all signs point to the Panthers picking up Bryce Young's option. In 2026 and 2027, the alternative options just aren't great, especially when factoring in that moving on would essentially be starting over after all this positive growth.

Joe Person of The Athletic calls it an "easy" choice since the option would be for $26.5 million rather than $50 million, which is what the top 11 QBs all make. Young is probably going to eventually join that tier.

"The question is whether the Panthers want to make Young the next member of that $50M club, and if so, when? Canales, Dan Morgan, and [Brandt] Tilis will weigh more than just the next four games, even if Young plays well and the Panthers end their seven-year playoff drought, when considering an extension. Young and the Panthers have taken another step forward this season. If that ascension continues in 2026, his payday is coming," Person said.

Yes, Young has been improving, and it looks like he's going to continue to improve in the future, but the Panthers can't ignore the first half of his career.

Nov 30, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

That means that Young must continue to play well in 2026 to earn that extension, but that's why picking up the option makes so much sense. The most likely scenario here is to pick up the option, see more growth in 2026, and sign him that offseason to something.

If he plays like a Pro Bowl QB, then somewhere around that $50 million salary will be granted. If he's not quite there, it's not the end of the world, because it'll save the Panthers probably $15 million or more a season.

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