Panthers Open To Extension For Bryce Young But No Urgency

According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, while the Panthers are open to doing an extension for QB Bryce Young right now, there’s not a lot of urgency to get something done. 

Graziano notes the team picked up Young’s fifth-year option for 2027 and continues to say it believes in him as a long-term starter. 

However, fellow 2023 draft classmate and Texans QB C.J. Stroud also doesn’t have a long-term deal yet, so the Panthers likely feel like they can wait to see how Young and the market develop. 

The fifth-year option is worth $25.904 million fully guaranteed for the 2027 season. That ranks 20th in the league right now in average annual salary for quarterbacks, so while it’s a major commitment, it’s also cheap if the Panthers see Young as a viable starter. 

It also gives the team time to continue to evaluate whether Young is worthy of an extension, and if so, at what level. 

Young, 24, was a two-year starter at Alabama and won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore in 2021. The Panthers traded up to draft him with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.

He signed a four-year, $37,955,074 rookie contract that included a $24.6 million signing bonus. The deal includes a fifth-year option for the 2027 season worth $25.904 million guaranteed, which the team picked up in 2026. 

In 2025, Young appeared in 16 games for the Panthers, completing 63.6 percent of his passes for 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also rushed for 216 yards on 54 carries with two touchdowns.

We’ll have more on Young as the news is available.