The Carolina Panthers can offer Bryce Young an extension this offseason.
The Carolina Panthers have picked up the fifth-year option on QB Bryce Young's contract.
However, barring a surprise turn of events, Young is not expected to receive a contract extension this offseason.
Panthers head coach Dave Canales, who benched Young in 2024, spoke about Young's future with the franchise during a conversation with Henry McKenna of Fox Sports.
"If this thing comes to a crescendo, which I believe it will, if Bryce goes where I think he's going to go this year and continues to improve … we're going to have to make that [contract] decision," Canales said. "And I want to make sure, organizationally, or from a roster standpoint, we are in a position to say, ‘OK, let's go.’
"Is it Bryce? I hope so. That's our goal, to make it so that we can build a strong enough team to be able to withstand that [contract] and continue to have that layered, progressive developmental approach."
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 campaign.
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.
"I had never lost confidence in Bryce, the guy," Canales said. "We're all in the same boat. So there's a lot of grace and empathy that goes across the board for all of us really just becoming this thing."
The Panthers lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round of the 2026 playoffs. Young played well in his playoff debut. The youngster had 264 passing yards, one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown.
Canales and Young have come a long way from 2024, when Young was benched for Andy Dalton. The two are now connected at the hip and in charge of leading the Panthers to the promised land one day.
"There was an emotional strain. I could feel that," Canales said of his relationship with Young. "I know because it was a hard decision. I know Bryce could feel that because of how this impacted him directly, and everybody else can feel it. It's like, ‘Oh, this seems like a big deal.’ But it's like, ‘OK, this is the decision that was made. But how do we get better today?’ And so there's, like, a daily focus on improvement. Bryce is wired that way.
"He never wavered on that part, so that when his opportunity came back, he was that much better."
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