Despite a playoff run, Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young faces a career-defining season as looming contract demands and a loaded draft class threaten to end his tenure with the Panthers.
In April, the Carolina Panthers picked up the fifth-year option for quarterback Bryce Young.
That doesn't mean the No. 1 pick in 2023 won't be playing for his career this fall.
The Panthers sent extreme resources to the Chicago Bears in exchange for the right to draft Young. After being benched early in his career, he had moderate success in 2025, throwing for 3,011 yards 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, leading Carolina to an NFC South title and playoff appearance.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated suggested 2026 is a prove-it season for Young. The Panthers will decide before the 2027 draft, plush with talented quarterbacks, if they want to try to negotiate Young on a contract that pays him $50 million annually.
If not, Carolina will look for Young's replacement.
"The Panthers look poised to head into the fourth year of Bryce Young’s contract, and it is, to be clear, a critical one for everyone involved," Breer wrote. Yes, they’ve exercised his fifth-year option for 2027 at $25.9 million.
"But if Young doesn’t look like the kind of guy the team would want to invest a deal at more than $50 million per year in this fall, then Carolina will become a suitor for a quarterback next spring."
Of course, there is a third path for the Panthers. If they don't lose enough games to pick high enough for an elite quarterback in the draft, they could negotiate a smaller salary for Young.
That could be ideal for Young to remain a starter with Carolina rather than going down a risky path of starting at another organization where he could be a backup.
Young was ranked No. 98 on the lost of 100 top NFL players for 2026. The young quarterback isn't focused on how he's perceived around the league. He wants to get better.
"I mean, I'm grateful for it, but I can't let that be a motivating factor for me," Young said. "I think in sports, just in life, there's going to be ups, there's going to be downs.
"I can't control stuff like that, so I think for me, even if it is positive at the time, I can't flip-flop. I just focus on the work here. You know, that's all that matters."
And he gets better, a $50 million contract won't be an obstacle.
