Why It's Now or Never For Panthers QB Bryce Young

Bryce Young is entering the most pivotal year of his career

Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) drops back to pass against the Los Angeles Rams in the first half during the NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Bryce Young has steadily progressed as an NFL quarterback every season of his career, and now he is heading into 2026 under more pressure than any QB not named Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen. There are multiple layers to why there's so much riding on this season for Bryce Young, but one that trumps all others.

Contract Extension Looms Large

Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) reflects before an NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

NFL.com's Nick Shook dropped his list of players who are entering their "make-or-break" seasons in their NFL careers. Bryce Young, of course, made this list and was mentioned pretty early in the read, and rightfully so.

Shook mentions the most important piece of this season for Bryce Young, which is earning that enormous contract extension, which secures a long-term future in Carolina and adds many more zeros next to the dollar amount.

The Panthers exercised Young's fifth-year option after the season ended, rather than just signing him to an extension this season, which shows that while the Panthers do believe in Bryce Young, there is some caution behind that belief. With that caution lingering, Bryce Young has to put everything together this season and may need to make the biggest jump in his career thus far.

Consistency is Key

Nov 16, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales hugs Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) after the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Even in 2024, the season where Bryce Young was benched at one point, he showed flashes of elite-level play, but that's where the improvement has to come; there can't just be flashes of greatness, Young has to avoid games where hes playing like a bottom-five QB.

Nick Shook actually highlights a perfect example of Young's inconsistency, bringing up the drop off from the Week 11 performance against the Falcons, where Young threw for 448 yards and three touchdowns, to then following that performance with a 169-yard passing performance and two interceptions against the 49ers.

448 passing yards
3 TDs
31/45@_bryce_young had a career day in the OT win. @FedEx pic.twitter.com/2Fhdzf8BPj

— NFL (@NFL) November 16, 2025

The highs of Bryce Young are up there with some of the premier QBs in the league, but the lows are what're keeping Young from earning the respect across the league and the recognition as a true franchise QB.

What Bryce Young Needs to Do to Earn an Extension

Dec 21, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) and quarterback Bryce Young (9) celebrate after a play during the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Everyone knows what can't happen if Bryce Young wants the contract extension: regression within the division can't happen, regression as a QB in general, or reverting back to 2024 form more often than not.

Bryce Young doesn't have to play at a league MVP level to earn the Panthers' trust; he just has to manage full games better and do a better job at limiting the back-breaking mistakes that can swing a game. The less than 200 yard passing games with 2 interceptions can't happen anymore, or as often at least.

If the Panthers simply go 10-7, maybe even just 9-8, and win the NFC South again, then that means Bryce Young stepped up his play, cause the Panthers are going to play some of the NFL's best throughout this season, so Carolina will need bigger performances more often from Young and the rest of the offense.

If those bigger performances come more often, Bryce Young's going to have the best summer of his life after signing that extension.