The Carolina Panthers have made a wealth of inconsistent choices in the David Tepper era, whether at head coach, in the front office, or at quarterback. The team rectified the latter in 2023, trading up to the No. 1 overall selection to draft and selecting Alabama signal-caller Bryce Young.
Young has had a fascinating career with the Panthers. He was part of the worst team in franchise history. He was benched after a horrific start to his sophomore season. He then returned to the lineup and showed glimpses of his potential.
While inconsistencies were a factor last season, high-end performances throughout, particularly in the latter half, helped Young lead the Panthers to the playoffs. He went toe-to-toe with the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round before Carolina eventually fell short. Now comes an interesting conversation that has been debated since the end of the season.
Carolina Panthers' contract discussions will play a key role in Bryce Young's 2026 season
As the Panthers are set to pick up the $26.5 million fifth-year option in Young's rookie contract, the discussions online around a potential contract extension are brought to the surface every once in a while. Die-hard fans and supporters of the Heisman Trophy winner believe he has shown enough to earn a long-term commitment.
However, others do not.
It's a fair observation and a rational perspective when considering Young's work over the last season and a half. Alex Kay of The Bleacher Report shares a similar perspective, putting the quarterback on his players who should not get a contract ahead of time.
Kay brings up Brandt Tilis' response to a potential new contract for his franchise quarterback, as the key front office figure has stated that the team is still evaluating Young with no apparent urgency to extend him. His perspective notes the current market value, an unproven passer to an extent, and a wait-and-see approach.
"Spotrac placed a $37.2 million annual valuation on Young—well below the elite signal-callers and similar to the deals Geno Smith and Sam Darnold recently inked. While this may seem affordable compared to the $50-plus million per year other quarterbacks are netting, it's enough money to set the Panthers back if Young regresses in 2026.
"Carolina should stay the course and continue to take a "wait-and-see" approach with its polarizing passer. It may end up costing the club a good bit more to keep Young should he take a leap in Year 4, but the negatives of extending a draft bust far outweigh the potential savings an early extension may offer."
These are fair arguments with merit. The Panthers should have no urgency to extend Young at this point in his career, where he is still attempting to prove he can be a high-level passer in the NFL.
Carolina has a new offensive play-caller with additional members to the coaching staff, with an offense that is almost ready to take the next step, pending the 2026 NFL Draft. If Young exceeds expectations during the season, the Panthers have every right to extend him as quickly as possible.
Until then, they should not rush while building the foundation of their roster.