Panthers will pick up fifth-year option on Bryce Young's rookie contract, tying QB to Carolina through 2027

The Carolina Panthers are keeping quarterback Bryce Young for at least the next two years, as general manager Dan Morgan told reporters on Tuesday that the franchise plans to pick up the fifth-year option on the 2023 No. 1 overall pick's rookie deal.

The fifth-year option will pay Young a fully-guaranteed $26,530,000 in 2027, according to Over The Cap's projections. The 24-year-old signal-caller is coming off a career year in which he completed 63.6% of his passes for 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also recorded six game-winning drives, which tied for second-most in the NFL. Carolina won the NFC South for the first time since 2015 with an 8-9 record, and battled the Los Angeles Rams closely in the wild-card round before eventually falling, 34-31. Young completed 21 of 40 passes for 264 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and also rushed for a touchdown in the season-ending loss. 

The decision to exercise Young's option should not come as a major surprise. Young has shown improvement over three NFL seasons. But the fact of the matter is that the Panthers made a major investment. They aren't ready to punt on that investment yet. Prior to the 2023 NFL Draft, the Panthers traded two first-round picks, two second-round picks and wide receiver DJ Moore to the Chicago Bears for the right to select Young at No. 1 overall.

Another reason the Panthers felt fine picking up the option is because it's not incredibly expensive. Sure, Young gets a nice bump in pay from his average of $9.5 million to $26.5 million for one year, but $26.5 million makes Young the No. 20 highest-paid quarterback if we go off of the 2025 positional average. 

Young's career got off to a slow start, as he went 2-14 as a rookie while throwing just 11 touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions. It didn't help that No. 2 overall pick quarterback C.J. Stroud won Offensive Rookie of the Year after a historic first season. Young was then benched two games into his second NFL season for the veteran Andy Dalton, but returned to the starting lineup in Week 8 and improved down the stretch. In Carolina's final three games of the 2024 season, Young became the first quarterback since Drew Brees in 2019 to account for 10 total touchdowns and throw zero interceptions. 

The Alabama product did not finish in the top half of the league in passing yards per game (188.2), or passer rating (87.8), but showed some flashes of why he was considered an elite prospect. 

What could Bryce Young's future contract look like?

Young's next contract will likely be more controversial than the decision to pick up his fifth-year option. He has not played well enough to break into the top 15. What happens over the next two years will decide how much money Young makes. 

Will he be a retread signing for another franchise? Does Young come in and battle for the starting job, similar to what took place with Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts? Jones signed a one-year, $14 million deal with Indy. Justin Fields got a more lucrative contract from the New York Jets, signing a two-year, $40 million deal that included $30 million guaranteed. It made him the lowest-paid unquestioned veteran starting quarterback this season if you rule out Aaron Rodgers, who made below $14 million on a one-year deal. 

Maybe Young continues to improve and commands a bit more money. The next step up on the current financial ladder would be Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, who signed a three-year, $100 million extension in 2024. That contract carried an AAV of $33.3 million.

Young is in line to sign a three-year deal worth $111,486,645 that averages $37.2 million, according to Spotrac's market value projection. Right now, the average starting quarterback makes $40 million to $45 million per year.