The Carolina Panthers will be looking for another backup QB this offseason.
Carolina Panthers president of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan told Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer that he will be looking for another backup QB this offseason.
Andy Dalton is currently Bryce Young's backup. The veteran turns 39 in October and only has one year left on his contract.
Morgan wants Young's backup to be young and athletic.
"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."
The backup QB position is very important in the NFL. Just look at the Denver Broncos. They were forced to play Jarrett Stidham in the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots because Bo Nix suffered a season-ending ankle injury against the Buffalo Bills.
The Panthers must get a solid backup QB this offseason in case Young gets hurt again in 2026. Dalton has had a great career, but he shouldn't be playing in the NFL anymore. If Young get hurts next season, Carolina needs someone other than Dalton playing, preferably someone who can run the ball when the pocket collapses.
Young finished the 2025 season with 3,011 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 216 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. He led the Panthers to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season.
Morgan has already told reporters that he will pick up the fifth-year option on Young's contract.
"Yeah, just to hit on Bryce, we're going pick up his fifth-year option," Morgan said. "I think Bryce has shown flashes of greatness this year against high-level competition. I think just as a team, we weren't as consistent as we wanted to be on a game-to-game basis, but I think that's part of what happens when you have a young team.
"You have a young team that is building continuity and kind of figuring themselves out. So I think Bryce did a great job this year, and just really excited about moving forward and him still developing chemistry with our receivers and just the pieces around him that we add."
Young was the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He has 8,291 passing yards, 49 passing touchdowns, 30 interceptions, 718 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in a Carolina uniform.
Young hasn't been consistent enough to earn an extension from the Panthers. He needs to play well again in 2026 to earn one.
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