Fourth-year quarterback Bryce Young has yet to receive a long-term contract extension from the Carolina Panthers, despite leading the team to the playoffs last season and ending its seven-year playoff drought. With the start of the 2026 season right around in corner, that is unlikely to change, either. However, Young doesn't seem to be too concerned about his uncertain future in Carolina.
It’s outside my control,” Young said, via the team’s website. We’re going into Week 1; that’s all that matters. We have all the inspiration.
There’s a great challenge ahead of us, and our first opponent, so that’s all that I have the capacity to be focused on.” The Panthers did exercise the fifth-year option on Young's rookie deal, so he will be with the team through the 2027 season at the very least, barring a trade. But it does make sense why Carolina is not quite ready to fully commit to Young. While Young is coming off the best season of his young, NFL career, during which he threw for a career-high 3,011 yards and 23 touchdowns, his first two years in the league left much to be desired, especially as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
In 2023 and 2024, Young threw for a combined 5,280 yards, 26 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. Young has also led the Panthers to three straight losing seasons. They made the playoffs with an 8-9 record a season ago in what has been largely viewed as the worst division in football.
Only time will tell how Young will look in 2026 and if and when the Panthers will be willing to commit to him long-term, but it's safe to say this season is the most important yet for the former first overall pick.
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