The Carolina Panthers needed the strangest turn of tiebreaker luck to get into the playoffs. But once they got there, they played like they belonged. Bryce Young played like he belonged.
The division title and the near-upset against a Super Bowl favorite like the Los Angeles Rams mean the Panthers brass has a very difficult decision to make this offseason: stick with Young, or cut bait.
Young was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft. That means he will be going into the fourth and final year of his rookie deal in 2026. That is, unless Carolina sees potential in him. And if they do, they can keep him for one more year.
While all rookie contracts in the NFL are four years, teams are given a fifth-year option for the players they select in the first round, like Young. However, teams have to decide whether or not to pick that option up before that player’s fourth season. On May 1, 2026, to be exact.
That means the Panthers have to decide whether they want two more years of Young or just one—or less.
Bryce Young has improved in each of his three NFL seasons
While he hasn’t become a bonafide franchise quarterback yet, Bryce Young has shown a lot of flashes. Not least of which came during that scintillating comeback performance in a 34-31 loss to the Rams.
In that one, he showed the ability to make off-platform throws, clutch plays, and use his legs to get what he wants when he needs it. He really did all he could to win that game. And let’s not forget, it was his first playoff game.
While some worried the playoff lights might be too bright with team legends like Cam Newton on hand, they were just right for Young. And that’s got to be encouraging for Carolina.
The journey he’s taken from “bust” to “division champ” in three seasons has been inspiring as well. It’s what football is all about. Second chances and learning from mistakes.
Young was abysmal as a rookie. Just awful. He threw 11 TDs against 10 picks, completed less than 60 percent of his passes, had a 73.7 passer rating that was the worst in the league, and he won just two games.
His second season started off much like the first as he was benched early on. However, when he returned from that benching, he started showing why he was a Heisman winner and first overall pick. He went 4-6 in the final 10 games, throwing 15 TDs against six interceptions while also running five more in with his legs.
He continued the upward trajectory again in his third year. As a rookie, he had won two games. As a sophomore, he doubled it to four. And as an NFL junior, he doubled it again to eight wins to go with a division crown.
Young also put up career-highs in completion percentage (63.6), passing yards (3,011, his first 3,000-yard season), TD passes (23), first downs (159), success rate (44.2), yards per attempt (6.3), and passer rating (87.8) in 2025. The 27 sacks he took were also a career-low.
Bryce Young hasn’t quite earned that big franchise QB contract. But he has certainly done enough—especially with this current dearth of QB talent—to earn extra look in 2027.
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