Through the first four games of the 2026 NFL season, Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young has silenced his doubters with his strong play. 

Young has been fantastic in the four games, despite the Panthers being 2-2. He's led one of the top offenses in all of football and with it being an important season for him, he's answered the call.

In the Week 4 win over the Detroit Lions, Young completed 29 of 41 attempts for 329 yards and two touchdowns. He didn't have a turnover and put up a passer rating of 110.7 in the big win. He also set a new franchise record in the process. 

With nine touchdown passes through the first four games of the season, Young now has the most touchdowns in the first four games by any quarterback in franchise history. The previous record of eight was held by both Kerry Collins (1998) and Jake Delhomme (2007). 

That's pretty damn impressive. 

Young has this offense rolling, and Panthers' offensive coordinator Brad Idzik has found something early on. The Panthers have some really good weapons on offense that Idzik is using to his advantage with Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker. Plus, the run game was good on Sunday, with Chuba Hubbard leading the way. 

McMillan had a career day on Sunday, catching 14 of his 16 targets for 192 yards and two touchdowns. Hubbard also had two touchdowns on the day.

Carolina enters this bye week feeling really good even with a 2-2 start. They won a key NFC game that could be crucial later in the season for them. By doing so, they proved that they should be the favorite in the NFC South, a division that is still up in the air through the first four weeks of the season. 

But with Young's hot start, what does it mean for his future?

Going into this season, there were questions about the future of Young in Carolina. 

The Panthers picked up the fifth year option back in April. But they did not pursue a long-term extension. Instead, they wanted to see how things play out in year four, making a decision from there. 

Well, through four games it sounds like Young is earning that long-term deal as we speak due to his hot play. I have to imagine Carolina loves what they are seeing in Young early on and while they won't rush for a contract decision, they are likely leaning towards signing him for the long term. The better Young plays this year, the more confidence there is that he stays in Carolina for the long term.