The Carolina Panthers have some big decisions to make when it comes to quarterback Bryce Young.
After this season, the Panthers will have to decide whether or not to pick up Young's fifth-year option, which is estimated to cost $26.5 million, per Over the Cap.
From there, the Panthers will have to decide if they're going to extend Young, which is going to be even more expensive given where quarterback salaries are in this day and age.
While it's a foregone conclusion that the Panthers will pick up Young's fifth-year option, the same cannot be said for extending him on a new deal.
And that's something ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano said in their latest NFL buzz article on Wednesday.
Both NFL insiders believe the Panthers will pick up Young's option but will wait it out when it comes to offering him an extension.
"It's hard to really know what the long-term outlook is when the swings are this wild week to week. The Panthers will have to decide by the first week of May whether to pick up his fifth-year option for 2027," Graziano writes.
"I expect them to do that because the cost will be reasonable (around $26.5 million), but then the question becomes what to do after that."
"This feels like the classic wait-and-see situation," Fowler said. "Despite showing flashes, Young hasn't progressed beyond midtier starter status. The Panthers have overachieved a bit this season and low-key have viewed 2026 as their true jump year. Whether they want to allocate heavy resources to a Young extension during a crucial offseason remains to be seen. Picking up his fifth-year option and having him play at least a portion of his fourth season on his rookie deal is a sensible play."
While the Panthers are having a better-than-expected season as they sit with a 7-6 record and in the thick of the playoff hunt, Young's play remains inconsistent.
He has no doubt had some very good games that make you believe he can be the long-term answer in Carolina, but Young has also had plenty of duds to push that thinking in the other direction.
The best bet for Carolina will be to pick up Young's fifth-year option and wait things out with him for at least another year before deciding on an extension.
Of course, doing that also runs the risk of Young's price going up, but that would be a better problem to have than not, as it would mean the former No. 1 overall pick is playing at a high level and has cemented himself as a franchise quarterback.
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