The Carolina Panthers have already opted to pick up quarterback Bryce Young's fifth-year option. That gives them at least one more season to evaluate before taking matters further, which is the sensible approach after a rollercoaster start to his NFL journey.
However, one front-office figure offered a cautionary tale about giving Young a lucrative long-term commitment.
Young's made some encouraging strides this season. The former Alabama standout was poised and confident, excelling under pressure. Everyone in the building and most of the fan base are starting to genuinely believe. At the same time, further progress is needed to warrant the sort of money quarterbacks get on their second contracts.
Carolina Panthers offered cautionary tale about extending Bryce Young in 2026
Joe Person from The Athletic talked to a veteran personnel figure, who spoke anonymously and is currently employed by another organization, about Young's contract situation. He used Tua Tagovailoa as a reference, citing how his performance dipped once the cap restrictions prevented the Miami Dolphins from placing the necessary pieces around him to help him thrive.
And unless the Panthers are absolutely convinced, they should pause until Young proves otherwise.
"Tua Tagovailoa had his most success when they were paying him on his rookie deal because you can put more pieces around him. But once they made that move to pay him 50-something million dollars, now you start to lose other pieces. And now he’s got to perform even higher because he’s playing with less talent. And he needs all those pieces to win with because you don’t win because of him."NFL personnel executive via The Athletic
It's a fair point. Comparing him to Tagovailoa seems like a stretch, given Miami's signal-caller had Tyreek Hill, De'Von Achane, and Jaylen Waddle. And the Panthers are also making a concerted effort to build through the draft, making wise veteran investments.
Quarterback contracts take a big dent out of any team's salary cap. If Young got $50 million per year, that wouldn't even crack the top 10 league-wide. However, even his fifth-year option will come with sacrifices elsewhere.
The cap is only going up, but so are the demands of proven performers. This makes it even more imperative to find cheaper, long-term options via the college ranks to keep this project trending upward.
Young is another strong campaign away from getting paid. That might cost the Panthers more if they wait. Giving him an extension after three years seems like a bigger risk right now, especially considering Morgan is still trying to build a more competitive roster.
It's a delicate situation, but at least the Panthers had the chance to buy some more time with Young.