Per ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler, the expectation is that the Carolina Panthers will pick up Bryce Young’s fifth-year option. He’s eligible for an extension this offseason, but that’s highly unlikely to happen.
The Panthers can give themselves another year at $26.5 million to decide about Young’s long-term future, which is the smart thing to do. Young has been up and down, but the Panthers rightly believe in him.
As Graziano so aptly put it, “They’ve used 10 different offensive line combinations this season and have a young receiver group, so the team seems to think the ups and downs can be blamed on more than just the quarterback.”
Nov 30, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) celebrates after a touchdown during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images
But regardless, the team isn’t ready yet to commit to a long-term contract extension. Young has, in all honesty, not yet showcased that he’s totally, unequivocally worth that, and the Panthers need to continue allocating resources around him and on defense at this time.
So extending the window before they have to make a decision is incredibly wise. It may backfire on them, as they could extend Young right now for a very cheap deal, at least in terms of franchise quarterbacks, whereas his ascension in years four and five might push him into that $50 million range.
But Carolina can’t take that risk, nor can they afford to throw away what they’ve built and all the development they’ve undergone to start over with a rookie who might not even be an improvement.
For better or worse, these two sides are tied together for now, and the only smart choice is to pick up the option and continue assessing in years four and five. Things may go horribly wrong in year four, making this a mistake, but it’s more likely they’ll regret not picking it up than regret picking it up.
Nov 24, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) rushes the ball against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
The downside here is what comes after that. It doesn’t matter if Young has smoothed out his ups and downs by then, because starting QBs make boatloads of money. Trevor Lawrence, who has similar question marks, is an example.
The Panthers don’t have good options beyond Young, which is why it’s so smart to pick up the option. But Young can also use that as leverage for a better deal than he might deserve. Either way, that’s a problem for another day, and the right choice is to pick up the option and keep building.
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