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THE Carolina Panthers will exercise the fifth-year option on quarterback Bryce Young and will also consider whether a long-term contract extension is appropriate, according to general manager Dan Morgan.
The move will keep the former number one pick under contract through the 2027 season, with a guaranteed value of $26.5 million.
“Bryce has shown flashes of greatness this year against top competition,” Morgan said during his end-of-season press conference.
“As a team we haven’t been as consistent as we would like from game to game, but that’s part of what happens with a young team.”
Morgan praised Young’s development in his second NFL season, highlighting improvements in leadership and command.
“Bryce has done a great job this year and I’m really excited to move forward and continue to develop chemistry with our receivers and the pieces around him,” he said.
The Panthers general manager also highlighted Young’s work ethic and growth within the offense.
“I just felt like he had a lot more control this year, really blossoming and getting better every week, just attacking every day,” Morgan added. “That’s really all you can ask of any player.”
Inconsistency remained a theme of Young’s season. He produced a career-best passer rating of 147.1 in a win over the Los Angeles Rams, a week after posting a career-low total QBR of 14.2 in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
He also followed a record 448-yard passing performance against Atlanta with a 124-yard outing in the loss to the New Orleans Saints.
Young finished the regular season with a QBR of 47.7, ranking 22nd among qualifying quarterbacks. Carolina failed to win consecutive games after mid-October and finished the campaign with three straight losses, including a 34–31 loss to the Rams in the NFC wild card round.
Despite the loss, Young recorded a 74.3 QBR in his first playoff appearance, throwing and running for a touchdown.
Morgan said the Panthers would like to add another young quarterback to develop behind young, veteran backup Andy Dalton, but did not rule out discussions of a longer-term deal.
“We are still discussing the list and the whole situation,” he said. “It’s still pending things that we’re still working on at this point.”
Young also received praise for playing through a sprained right ankle suffered in Week 7 against the New York Jets, which forced him to miss one start.
“He’s a tough guy, he’s a really tough guy,” Morgan said.
The 23-year-old is tied for the NFL lead with six game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime this season, bringing his career total to 12. However, his overall record stands at 14-30, even though the Panthers finished 8-10 in 2025.
