To the surprise of many, Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers made the playoffs during the 2025 NFL season after winning the NFC South with an 8-9 record.
Young’s performance has been questionable in past seasons, but after a successful 2025 campaign, Panthers general manager Dan Morgan teased that an extension for the quarterback could be on the way.
Dan Morgan’s Long-Term Commitment to Bryce Young
Prior to the 2023 NFL Draft, the Panthers traded up to the first overall pick by sending DJ Moore, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks to the Chicago Bears. With the first overall pick in the draft, the Panthers selected Young out of Alabama.
However, the trade looked like a complete disaster for the Panthers. In his first two seasons, Young completed 60.3% of his passes for 5,280 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions across 30 games.
In PFSN’s NFL Quarterback Impact Metric (QBi), he ranked 34th in 2023 with an impact score of 56.7 and a grade of F. In 2024, he ranked 32nd with an impact score of 69.0 and a letter grade of D+.
When it looked like the trade would go down as one of the worst of all time, Young finally took the step forward that the Panthers had been waiting for. In 2025, he completed 63.6% of his passes for 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
Despite taking a step forward in production, Young once again ranked 32nd in PFSN’s QBi.
“Bryce is definitely our future. We have a ton of belief in him… We’re building around him and what he does. He’s just a special guy.”
Sure sounds like Panthers GM Dan Morgan is working to keep Bryce Young in Carolina long-term 👀@_bryce_young | @Panthers | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/FItocMXalI
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) March 31, 2026
At only 24 years old, Young still has a lot to learn, but the Panthers and Morgan believe in his continued development. During the NFL annual meetings, the general manager had the following to say:
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“Bryce is definitely our future. We have a ton of belief in him. I think you can see what we’re doing around him: we’re building around him and what he does. He’s just a special guy, the way he carries himself into the building every day, the leader that he’s become, the command he’s taken of the offense. We’re super excited.”
If Young can continue to develop, there is no doubt that the Panthers should use the opportunity to lock him up to a long-term contract. Because his production hasn’t matched that of top-tier quarterbacks, they may be able to sign him at a slight discount. The question remains: Will he continue this development, and what is the right price to pay him?
