The Carolina Panthers picked up Bryce Young’s fifth-year option. They are not going to talk extension yet.
Carolina general manager Dan Morgan said he is not ready to negotiate a long-term deal with Young’s camp this offseason, which is front-office language for “show me more.” Young has flashed since being benched and reinstated in 2024. He has not done enough to be guaranteed the franchise’s long-term future.
That is fair. It is also the kind of message a young quarterback rarely gets in public from his own front office.
Where Young Actually Stands
Young threw for 3,002 yards and 21 touchdowns last season as the Panthers went 8-9 and missed the playoffs by a tiebreaker. The numbers were better than his rookie year by a wide margin. The eye test was kinder. The team won games when he played his cleanest football.
The problem is the bar he needs to clear is high. The Panthers traded a king’s ransom to draft him first overall in 2023. They moved up from No. 9 and sent two first-round picks, two seconds, and DJ Moore to Chicago. The price of that trade is going to follow Young until he wins a playoff game.
The Panthers also have other priorities. They want to extend pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, who is having an All-Pro renaissance. They want to lock up center Austin Corbett and a few defensive starters. There is only so much room to do all of that and a Young extension at the same time.
Morgan is also playing a longer game. The 2027 quarterback class is supposed to be strong. If Young does not take the next step this fall, the Panthers can revisit. If he does, they can pay him at the deadline or after the season. The fifth-year option gives them control through 2027 without any rush.
Young’s camp is going to argue that the right number this summer would protect everyone. Wait too long and the price goes up if Young plays like a top-10 quarterback. The flip side is real, too. Sign him to a $200 million extension now and he regresses, and Carolina spends two years arguing about what happened.
The Panthers staff likes Young. New head coach Dave Canales rebuilt his confidence last fall. Carolina invested in real receivers this offseason. Diontae Johnson is paid. Xavier Legette is in his second year. Tetairoa McMillan came in the first round. The pieces are there for a real test of who Young is as a player.
The next 17 games are the test. Carolina expects to compete in a weak NFC South. The Panthers should be in the playoff race deep into December. If Young is the reason they get there, he is going to be paid. If he is not, the Panthers will go into 2027 with a decision to make.
The fifth-year option locks Young in financially. It does not lock him in mentally. Morgan just told him that out loud. Quarterbacks who handle that pressure are the ones who get extensions. Quarterbacks who do not get drafted past.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
