An NFL.com writer has put a key Carolina Panthers player on the hot seat for the 2026 NFL season.
The Carolina Panthers are preparing for their third preseason game of the year as they head to Jacksonville to face off against the Jaguars on Friday. The two teams just wrapped up a joint practice as they head into the preseason game, trying to impress the coaching staff.
For the Panthers, they are looking to build off their 2025 success, a year in which they won the NFC South for the first time in 10 years. The next step is to build on that and not only get back to the playoffs but win a playoff game.
To do that, they are going to need quarterback Bryce Young to take a big step forward.
The spotlight is on the quarterback as he goes into his fourth season. He's had his fifth year option picked up but the Panthers have yet to make a decision on his long-term future.
And this year, it feels like Young is on the hot seat.
CBS Sports' Zach Pereles named Young the one player on the Panthers who is on the hot seat for the upcoming season. Here is what Pereles had to say about it:
. . . If he plays well this season, he'll be one of the cheaper starting quarterbacks in 2027, and if he doesn't, his cost is far from prohibitive. In that sense, this is a make-or-break year for the former Alabama star. After a disastrous rookie season, Young took a step forward near the end of his second year and another step last year, but he still ranked just 29th in net yards per attempt, 26th in EPA per play and 25th in interception rate . . .
The Panthers are going to have to make a key decision after this year on Young. If the quarterback can't prove that he's the long-term solution for the team, they could look at adding a quarterback through the draft.
It's considered a strong draft for quarterbacks in 2027 and it might make sense either way for the team to draft one if they have the opportunity. Young will feel the pressure all season long and it's up to him to rise to the occasion.
