Inside the Carolina Panthers, the question is whether or not quarterback Bryce Young has done enough to justify locking him into a massive, multi-year commitment after Year 3. According to one anonymous former NFL coach, the answer depends entirely on the next four weeks.
“The next four games are vital,” the coach told ESPN. “He lacks consistency. He has to play more consistent.”
That’s the uncomfortable truth Carolina has been tiptoeing around. They need to see Young steady the offense, not just flash potential.
Carolina Panthers need more consistency from Bryce Young to warrant an extension
When a franchise trades the kind of haul Carolina sent to the Chicago Bearsfor the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the assumption is that the quarterback becomes the least complicated part of the long-term plan. If you’re drafting a star, you should get certainty.
But Young’s development has been anything but linear. His third season has included significant steps forward, but just as many reminders that the floor remains too low. His two worst QBR performances of the year came within seven days of his best through-the-air showing.
A league executive put the team’s internal reality even more bluntly:
“He has not shown an ability to consistently make the entire offense better with him. Basically, he has two years to earn an extension if you pick up his option year.”
There’s one pattern the front office can’t ignore: Six of Young’s seven wins this year came when the Panthers rushed for more than 169 yards. When the ground game disappears, so does the offense.
This weekend's upcoming rematch with the New Orleans Saints might be the clearest measuring stick yet. They cratered Carolina’s run game last month and dared Young to beat them. He didn’t. If that repeats, the extension conversation turns even colder.
Head coach Dave Canales isn’t hiding what he needs from his quarterback down the stretch:
"Just to continue to lead, keep pushing our concepts forward, finding ways to protect some of our core concepts in the run game and the pass game, and just lead the charge that way in terms of getting us to the right play,'' Canales said. "[Consistency] is part of the whole thing.''
That’s the word that keeps popping up. Consistency. The trait Young hasn’t stacked enough of to force Carolina’s hand.
Even though Young is 13-27 in his career, the blueprint for a late Year 3 breakout is real. Matthew Stafford went through something similar before erupting in his third season.
Another NFL decision-maker said it plainly: “These last four games mean a lot. They will be the most meaningful of his career. They will tell you a lot about what his ceiling is.”
Carolina needs answers. And Young is running out of games to give them.