Will Bryce Young Sign New Panthers Contract? NFL Insiders Sound Off on Possibility

In the midst of the best season of his NFL career, Bryce Young's future could be a primary focus for the Carolina Panthers in the offseason.

Per ESPN's Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler, the Panthers are likely to wait on a long-term deal for Young but picking up his fifth-year option for 2027 is on the table.

Graziano noted his expectation is Carolina will exercise Young's option before the deadline in early May and people within the organization "still believe" in his ability.

Even with some improvement in his game, Young remains frustratingly inconsistent. His last three games are a perfect microcosm of the experience with him at quarterback.

Young went 31-of-45 for 448 yards and three touchdowns in a 30-27 overtime win against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11. He followed that up by throwing for 169 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

He rebounded on Sunday by going 15-of-20 for 206 yards with three touchdowns in Carolina's 31-28 upset win over the Los Angeles Rams.

Through 12 games, Young is averaging career-highs in passing yards per contest (194.8), yards per attempt (6.4), success rate (44.9) and completion percentage (63.4). He has already set a career-high in touchdown passes (18).

By some advanced metrics, though, Young still ranks in the bottom half of all starting quarterbacks. His 45.6 QBR is 23rd out of 31 qualified players.

Young has one more guaranteed year with a $1.1 million base salary remaining on his rookie deal, plus the fifth-year option in 2027 if the Panthers pick it up.

Carolina is on the edge of the NFC playoff picture with a 7-6 record. The seven winss are tied for the team's most in a season since 2018.

The amount of progress Young has made after a dreadful rookie season and horrendous start to 2024 that saw him get benched for a period after two games is impressive.

There remains a long way for Young to go before proving himself as a quarterback who is capable of consistently helping the Panthers win games, but they also have time to let him keep developing going into 2026 if that's the path they want to take.