A Carolina Panthers executive dishes on quarterback Bryce Young, including contract talks and where he's at in his career.
The Carolina Panthers are rolling through training camp as they prepare for their first preseason game of 2026 on Thursday. Being one of the teams in the Hall of Fame game, the Panthers get an extra game this preseason.
That gives the coaching staff an extra game as well as practices to evaluate the roster ahead of a very important 2026 season.
Coming off a 2025 campaign in which they went 8-9, the Panthers were able to win the NFC South via a tiebreaker. There are a lot of questions surrounding this team but maybe none bigger than quarterback Bryce Young.
The Panthers picked up the fifth-year option on Young this offseason but have yet to make a decision on a long-term deal. There's still a lot for Young to prove this season and it's clear that he has to play well.
On Monday, Panthers executive vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis spoke with the media. He was asked about Young's contract situation where he revealed that extension talks will be kept in house.
However, he hinted that things are going in a positive direction.
“I would say [Young] ascended last year and there’s still room for him to ascend,” Tilis said. “His ceiling, currently, is unknown and I think that’s exciting for us. He’s working hard to get himself there.”
Tilis has a point. Young's ceiling is still uncertain right now with where he is at in his career.
Young has had good seasons, he's also had bad seasons and was benched early on. The former No. 1 overall pick is looking to silence the doubters and make a statement this season to earn a new deal.
He's in a great situation as Tilis pointed out.
“The team is better, the coaches are good, and Bryce is putting in the work, too,” Tilis said. “So, it’s all there. And we’ll just see how the year plays out. I think we’re all really excited for what Bryce is going to show and how the team’s going to be.”
Time will certainly tell on Young and the Panthers' contract situation. But the ball is in his court to prove he deserves it or not.
