Bryce Young remains a polarizing figure. One minute, he is spearheading the Carolina Panthers to exceptional performances against NFL heavyweights. Next, he's fluffing his lines with error-prone efforts versus the league's bottom feeders.
There is no doubt that Young has improved in Year 3 of his professional career. Everyone in the organization believes in his capabilities, and he's proven to be an outstanding game manager who comes through in the clutch. The Panthers are in the playoff hunt, but speculation is already rising about how those in power approach the signal-caller's contract situation when the campaign concludes.
Young is extension eligible. He can also have his fifth-year option triggered, which seems like a realistic avenue to give Carolina one more year before making a longer-term commitment. However, a respected insider laid out an eye-watering figure that would be enough to give general manager Dan Morgan pause.
Dan Graziano doesn't believe it makes sense for Bryce Young to accept anything less than $50M per season
Dan Graziano from ESPN thought a fifth-year option trigger might prompt the signal-caller to accept a little less to secure a bigger extension. However, he didn't believe it would make sense for Young to take anything less than $50 million per season in this scenario.
"If [Bryce] Young is open to an extension in the 2026 offseason, I think it would have to be lucrative to make it worth his while. If the Panthers pick up the fifth-year option, they will have him under contract for two years at around $33 million, so it might be tempting for him take a below-market deal just to improve on that. But I don't see what Young's incentive would be to do an extension next spring or summer that averages less than $50 million per year."Dan Graziano, ESPN
Young is a good player. He was the No. 1 pick, and the Panthers gave up a king's ransom for the privilege of bringing him into the fold. Even so, giving a player so up-and-down $50 million per season is a massive risk.
The quarterback market has soared in recent years. If Young got $50 million per season, that would only put him at No. 12 league-wide, just behind Super Bowl winner Jalen Hurts and ahead of another No. 1 pick, Kyler Murray. It's a lot of money, but it's also in line with the current financial trajectory around the league.
This is also a reason why Morgan could decide to ride it out before taking additional measures. That might end up costing the Panthers more in the long run. But if Young grows and convinces everyone he's a franchise-caliber presence under center, Carolina will have no trouble paying him accordingly.
It's a fascinating dynamic to monitor in the offseason. But for now, Young and the Panthers are firmly focused on winning the NFC South.