The Carolina Panthers traded two first-round picks, two second-round picks and wide receiver DJ Moore to move up to the No. 1 spot in the 2023 NFL Draft. With the draft pick, the Panthers selected quarterback Bryce Young out of the University of Alabama.
Young has now been with Carolina for three seasons. He has amassed a 14-30 record as the franchise has struggled to find a consistent head coach to help complete its rebuild. Young has been heavily scrutinized during his short career, with some highlights showing the talent he displayed for the Crimson Tide and others raising questions about whether he should be in the Canadian Football League instead.
In 2011, the NFL instituted a new rule where first-round draft picks get the standard four-year rookie contract, and then teams get a fifth-year option that they can choose to pick up. With Young drafted with the first overall pick, Carolina has the chance to pick up a fifth-year option for him.
Young's rookie deal runs through the 2026 season. With mixed results so far, the Panthers are faced with a big decision on whether or not they believe in Young's future enough to pick up his fifth-year option that would pay him around $27 million for the 2027 season.
Here is more on whether or not the Panthers will pick up the fifth-year option for Young.
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Will the Panthers pick up Bryce Young's option?
The Panthers are expected to pick up Young's option, per ESPN's David Newton, who covers the team. The main reason is the financial advantage that it gives them. His option is projected to cost the franchise about $26.5 million for the 2027 season. If Carolina believes that Young is their franchise quarterback, he would cost way less on the option than he would for a long-term extension.
The main question for the Panthers is what is their plan if Young doesn't vastly improve? Carolina already set the organization back with the megadeal required to draft him, and they have been developing him for three years. Yes, the Panthers finished the 2025 regular season with an 8-9 record, their best since 2017. But Carolina has a massive decision to make about Young, and if he struggles in 2026, the organization would be practically forced to roll with him again in 2027 because of his price tag.
Carolina is expected to pick up the fifth-year option for Young, but that doesn't mean that a long-term extension is anywhere close with the third-year quarterback still having plenty to prove in the NFL.
When do the Panthers have to decide to pick up Bryce Young's option?
The Panthers have to decide whether or not they want to pick up Young's option by May 1, 2026. The option would cover the 2027 regular season.
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Bryce Young contract details
Young is playing in the third year of his rookie contract. It was a four-year, fully guaranteed deal worth $37,955,071. It runs through the 2026 season, and the fifth-year option is available for players selected in the first round of their respective drafts, which includes Young, who was selected first overall in 2023. The fifth-year option, should Carolina pick it up, would cover the 2027 regular season.
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Bryce Young career stats
| Year | Games | Completion % | Passing Yards | Passing TDs | INTs | Carries | Rushing Yards | Rushing TDs | QBR |
| 2023 | 16 | 59.8% | 2,877 | 11 | 10 | 39 | 253 | 0 | 34.1 |
| 2024 | 14 | 60.9% | 2,403 | 15 | 9 | 43 | 249 | 6 | 50.7 |
| 2025 | 15 | 63.2% | 2,745 | 21 | 10 | 52 | 217 | 2 | 48.0 |
| Total | 45 | 61.2% | 8,025 | 47 | 29 | 134 | 719 | 8 | -- |
Young has 14 wins in his career with the Panthers. 12 of them required a fourth-quarter comeback. In his career so far, Young has a 14-30 record. The time is running out for him to prove that he deserves to be a starter for Carolina, and the organization has four months of the offseason to determine how they view his future.
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