Why Panthers Aren't Going to Give Up on Bryce Young Any Time Soon

The Carolina Panthers seem to be at a bit of a crossroads with Bryce Young, or at least, they're coming up on one. They plan to pick up his fifth-year option, which punts the crucial decision down the road for one more offseason.

GM Dan Morgan said he and Brandt Tilis are having preliminary extension discussions centering on Bryce Young, but they probably won't end up extending him until next offseason if they do extend him at all.

Some fans might point to Young's low statistical output or the fact that he's only won 14 games thus far as reason he shouldn't be extended. There's certainly an argument to be made, and a good one, that the Panthers could absolutely upgrade at quarterback without a ton of difficulty.

They're not going to explore that avenue, at least not for a while. They're growing, as is Young. For now, the two things are and must be inextricably linked.

The Panthers aren't quitting Bryce Young any time soon

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) reacts in the fourth quarter in an NFC Wild Card Round game | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Bryce Young has more or less improved every year he's been in the NFL, although his growth from the back half of year two to year three wasn't exactly linear. Still, he's on the upswing now, as are the Panthers.

The potential replacement options this year are horrendous. This is a weak QB class in the draft, and they're not going to trade for Kyler Murray or Tua Tagovailoa. They can't sign Daniel Jones because he's hurt, and Aaron Rodgers is a horrible alternative.

So instead, the Panthers will continue building with Young this offseason. They'll probably get him another weapon and continue to improve the defense, making it possible that the team as a whole will improve in 2026.

If that happens, the Panthers will not be in position to draft any good quarterbacks in the draft to replace Young. The free agent options in 2027 aren't great, either:

DeShaun Watson
Matthew Stafford (will return to Rams or retire)
Baker Mayfield (would never sign with CAR)
Justin FIelds
C.J. Stroud (likely to be extended, but swapping in Stroud for Young would be silly)
Anthony Richardson
Mac Jones

Mac Jones might be the only plausible one, but even that is a huge stretch and risk. This puts the Panthers in the unenviable position of having to extend someone who hasn't produced at an elite level throughout.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) and Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

However, that's not a bad problem to have if the team plays it right. Even if Young has a really good 2026, he's highly unlikely to play himself into $60 million conversations or even $50 million talks.

The Panthers can get him at a relative discount. They can sign him for $40 million or perhaps even less, which saves money to continue providing him with weapons. He's not built to carry a team like Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen, so he won't ever be paid like them.

The Panthers are effectively "stuck," for lack of a better term, with Young, but that's not the end of the world. He will be a cheaper and less risky extension than others have been, so it's not likely to go the way of Tua Tagovailoa.

The Panthers are improving as a team, and the more they do that, the harder it becomes to move on from the QB without utterly starting over, which no one in the building wants to do any time soon.

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