Without saying it outright, the Carolina Panthers challenged quarterback Bryce Young this offseason.
They wanted him to earn a lucrative new contract extension. They wanted to see improved consistency and command of the offense. And they wanted to see Young grow into a legitimate franchise-caliber presence under center.
It's still early days, but the Panthers' offseason decision has brought a positive response from Young. And very few (if any) quarterbacks in the league are playing better right now.
Carolina Panthers contract timeline may change after Bryce Young's impressive start
Now, with the Panthers on their early bye week, this would be a good time to reassess and potentially offer Young a new deal.
Because the price is only going up.
According to Spotrac's market projections, Young was expected to get a three-year, $100 million deal before the season, working out at $33 million per year. After a sensational start to the campaign, that figure has already surged to three years, $111.48 million at $37.16 million a year.
And if the same trend continues, this could be a conservative estimate.
Young just looks like a different player. He is pushing the football downfield with conviction and aggression, with offensive coordinator Brad Idzik calling plays. There is a newfound arm arrogance with some of his throws that is hard to believe, and the player is simply oozing confidence.
This is enveloping the team. Everyone now believes that Young can take the Panthers where they want to go. He's silenced almost every doubter, and the sample size dating back to last season is big enough to suggest that the light has finally come on.
Bryce Young is earning a new deal from the Carolina Panthers, but when?
Whether this will lead the Panthers to shift course is another matter.
General manager Dan Morgan and Brandt Tilis, executive vice president of football operations, face a cap challenge next year. They have $7.37 million in space with just 38 players under contract. Big sacrifices are coming, and the future financial flexibility will be restricted even more wth a bumper new contract for Young.
This puts the Panthers in a predicament. Do they let things play out, even though it will probably cost them more? Or do they move now to keep the cost down a little?
It could go either way, but these are discussions the Panthers should be having right now.
At the same time, ascending quarterbacks are hard to find.
And Young is earning his money, at least so far.
It's only four games, of course. The Panthers might need Young to sustain these levels for a full campaign before justifying a bumper new deal. But the belief is growing, and cutting the check now provides stability and would give the Alabama product immense belief before things get tougher later in the campaign.
Everything is out of the player's hands. Young is focused on football, and he'll leave any contract-related matters to his representatives. But all signs are now pointing to him getting paid unless there is a serious drop-off in performance after the bye week.
That doesn't seem up for discussion right now. So it all comes down to timing.
And the Panthers have to get it right.
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