There may not be a player in the NFL with more money on the line in 2026 than Bryce Young.
NFL analyst Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report believes the Carolina Panthers' most important contract decision ahead of the 2026 season is Bryce Young.
The Panthers are not expected to sign Young to an extension before the 2026 season.
"There may not be a player in the NFL with more money on the line in 2026 than Young," Davenport wrote.
Young is set to make $12.1 million this season in the fourth year of his rookie deal. His fifth-year option is worth a guaranteed $25.9 million.
Last season, Young finished 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.
The first overall pick in the 2023 draft, Young enters next season with 8,291 passing yards, 49 passing touchdowns, 30 interceptions, 718 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in a Carolina uniform.
The Panthers have a difficult 2026 schedule. They face the Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks. If Young plays well, he will get paid next offseason.
However, if Young struggles in 2026, he may not be on the Panthers in 2027.
For what it's worth, Panthers OC Brad Idzik is one of the biggest Young fans out there. There isn't another QB Idzik wants when the game is on the line.
"Just an ultimate competitor and distributor, and he's ice cold in the big moment," Idzik said about Young, via Panthers.com. "The competitor, for him, looks different. But every single person in that team meeting room knows, this guy, he's going to give you everything he's got. He's going to extend every play to the very last second. Go back to Miami last year, down 17, fourth down, and he's buying one extra tick with three guys barreling down on him just to be able to get that ball off to (Tetaroia McMillan) and keep us alive and eventually win the game.
"And then the clutch moments for him, where he doesn't bat an eye, that's just something he's always had. It goes back to Alabama, goes back to Mater Dei; he's a winner, and we've enjoyed watching all those fourth-quarter last-minute drives, giving us a chance in games."
The Panthers open the 2026 season against the Bears. That should be a fun game, as Young goes up against fellow No. 1 pick Caleb Williams.
