Once upon a time, the Carolina Panthers were ready to ostracize quarterback Bryce Young because he wasn't C.J. Stroud. The tables have turned for the better, yet the club still appears to be looking over its shoulder.
Stroud has come crashing back down to Earth after bursting onto the NFL scene as a rookie with the Houston Texans. The regression has reached a point where he has something to prove. While his decline validates the Panthers' priors, it's also complicating their situation with Young, if recent intel from ESPN's Dan Graziano is any indication.
Despite Carolina's receptiveness to signing Young to a new contract and apparent faith in him, no agreement is imminent, per Graziano. Why, you may ask?
Because the Texans are reportedly taking a patient approach to their negotiations with Stroud.
"The Panthers are open to the idea of an extension for Young, and they continue to say they believe in him as their long-term franchise QB," Graziano wrote. "... But with Houston seemingly in no hurry with Young's 2023 draftmate C.J. Stroud, there's no rush to jump the market and do a Young deal without seeing more."
Bryce Young's Panthers future keeps circling back to C.J. Stroud
For better or worse, anything involving Young is seemingly always tied back to Stroud, and vice versa. They entered the league together as the first two picks of their class and play the same position. And by the sound of it, their finances are even intertwined.
Carolina and Houston reportedly find themselves in a staring contest. Neither team wants to blink first and risk overpaying their respective signal-caller. They want to have the price set for them, leaving Young (and Stroud) in a holding pattern that could carry into next offseason, Graziano noted.
Meanwhile, Young finds himself stuck in purgatory, albeit to no fault of his own. He has no choice but to patiently wait to see how the Texans' talks with Stroud play out. The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner doesn't have any control at the moment, which is truly an unenviable spot to be in.
Whether the Panthers put their money where their mouth is (literally) and commit to Young remains to be seen. He's currently signed through 2027 after they picked up his $25.904 million fifth-year option in April.
Young enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2025, posting career-high numbers across the board. His efforts were indispensable for a Carolina squad that snapped a seven-season playoff drought and earned its first NFC South title in a decade.
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