In another universe, the Carolina Panthers could be rolling into the 2026 season with their franchise quarterback already set. Had Bryce Young blown up to a Pro Bowl level last year, then he likely would have secured a long-term contract that made him "the guy" for the foreseeable future.
That didn't happen, though—and the Panthers only got modest gains from Young to go with occasional flashes of brilliance. It would have been premature to give him a huge contract based on what we have seen so far, and they were right to hold off.
According to Albert Breer at Sports Illustrated, the Panthers are taking a middle path of sorts with Young—based on how other teams have failed at quarterback by making a move too soon or giving up on their starter too early.
Breer writes:
What a huge year for Panthers quarterback Bryce Young. The former first pick played well last year . . . but well enough for the Panthers to pay the going rate for a franchise quarterback? If the answer to that was a resounding yes, they’d have taken care of that by now . . . Anyway, Carolina is using previous examples of teams giving up too quickly (Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold) or committing too quickly (Tua Tagovailoa) to quarterbacks in slow-playing this. And the resulting pressure that’s on Young should help the Panthers draw a conclusion on which way to go.
Given that two of those mistakes were at least somewhat connected to them, it's especially important that Carolina gets it right this time around. By delaying a big new contract that could average as much as $50 million a year, the organization is making Young earn it—instead of facing an albatross of a contract the way the Miami Dolphins dealt with Tagovailoa or how Cleveland Browns are now with the ghost of Deshaun Watson.
Young can still take another leap and prove to be well worth that much—and even more. Plus, in holding off, they may be setting themselves up to pay more down the line. That's perfectly fine, though.
Paying a bit more after Young has his long-awaited big breakthrough is far more preferable to splurging now and regretting it later if he doesn't.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: NFL insider details Panthers' middle path with QB Bryce Young's contract situation
