Four years ago, the Carolina Panthers made a franchise-altering trade for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. They used that selection to take Alabama quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young, who has had an up-and-down career to this point.
Young's rookie season was memorable for the wrong seasons; it was one of the worst of the century for a top draft pick. In his first year with head coach Dave Canales, he was benched in Week 3 but later returned as a starter and finished the 2024 season on a high note with big performances against some of the league's best.
Last season was the definition of inconsistent for Young, a frustrating moment in his development. Even so, changes in play-callers and a talented group of skill players give him the best surroundings of his career.
Carolina Panthers have surrounded Bryce Young with everything needed to thrive
Young, along with fellow top-two draft selection C.J. Stroud, is now eligible for a contract extension. It is highly unlikely that either sign one this offseason and will need to prove their worth in 2026. Last year was about establishing a path to build on, while he looks to establish a résumé worthy of a loftier financial commitment.
Playing with consistency and a streak of strong performances is something Young has yet to do in his career. It is a frustrating aspect of his career development in Carolina.
In a recent Cat Crave mailbag, one question was why Young has struggled with consistency over the past two years and why 2024 seemed to be a better campaign than all of 2025 combined. To further add to the answer, part of the reason for the signal-caller's inconsistencies was a lack of trust in a certain play-caller and pass-catchers, as he has thrived most in the middle of the field.
Canales' inability to stick to the game plan at times, along with play sequencing, didn't help Young's lack of quality from game to game. He did finish 2025 on a high note with back-to-back 260-plus-yard performances, including 264 yards against the Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs.
Sustaining those standards into the upcoming season is critical for Young, especially with matchups against two playoff-caliber opponents in the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions over the first four weeks before an early Week 5 bye. Not to mention, again, having the best crop of skill players around him in his career to help out along the way.
AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan and recently paid wideout Jalen Coker will be Young's top two receivers this season, followed by a rotation of 2024 first-round pick Xavier Legette and rookie Chris Brazzell II. The same crop of tight ends and an intriguing backfield of Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks makes for some dynamic ability under a new set of eyes and mouths.
Offensive coordinator Brad Idzik is now the Panthers' play-caller for the first time, a monumental move for Canales and Young as they look to take the next step in 2026. This is the dynamic with the most questions, but Idzik was responsible for some of the creative, successful plays that were executed throughout 2025.
How Idzik performs as a play-caller could make the difference between Young getting a contract extension next offseason and a lack of progression with potential big changes that could come of it.
This is all an effort to bolster the consistency of Young and the Panthers offense, and there's plenty of work to be done. It could work in the long run, especially with Canales being billed in a CEO-like role for the team, allowing for Idzik and his quarterback to mold a dynamic and find balance in sequencing.
Should that happen, you can expect a post from Adam Schefter or Ian Rapoport by March with breaking news of Young signing a contract extension ranging from $45 million to $55 million per season as the Panthers' unquestioned franchise signal-caller.
Young is a rare player because of his smaller stature and frame, but that has yet to stop him from showcasing brilliant flashes. Now he must put it together with a new voice in his ear and more pressure than ever before.
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