Jan. 26, 2026, 2:58 p.m. ET
The Carolina Panthers aren’t ruling out an addition to their quarterback room this offseason.
President of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan chatted with Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer from the East-West Shrine Bowl practices this past week. Among the handful of topics discussed was Morgan’s willingness to develop the depth of their quarterback position, and bringing on a new face to back up starter Bryce Young.
Morgan explained to Kaye what he’d be looking for.
“I think we have to explore every option, whether in free agency or in the draft,” Morgan stated. “And get some young, more developmental guys. And ideally, they’re athletic, so they can run around, escape, make plays with their legs — you know, cause that’s the way the league is trending nowadays. So, yeah, we’ll explore every avenue there.”
Young is coming off the best campaign of his three-year NFL career. He threw for highs in completion percentage (63.6), yards (3,011), touchdowns (23) and passer rating (87.8) while helping lead the Panthers to their first playoff berth since 2017.
Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.
Behind Young is 15-year veteran Andy Dalton, the only other quarterback currently under contract in Carolina. Dalton will be on the final year of his contract in 2026, and turns 39 in October.
Morgan and the Panthers have taken a shot on a few young passers in recent seasons—including 2024 undrafted free-agent signee Jack Plummer and Greensboro, N.C. native Hendon Hooker, a third-round pick of the Detroit Lions in 2023.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.