Selected first overall in the 2023 NFL draft, Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young still has to prove that he’s indeed the long-term option under center for the franchise that drafted him.
His rookie season in 2023 was nothing much to write home about, as he passed for 2,877 yards with 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. In 2024,
Young was even benched for several games before getting his QB1 role back and showing glimpses of the promise that made him a top overall selection.
Still, the jury appears to be out on Young, who is looking to have that breakout campaign in the 2025 season.
If he still can’t get it together and the Panthers finish with a bad record, Carolina could end up getting a potential replacement for Young via the 2026 NFL draft.
FOX Sports’ Jason McIntyre tried to look ahead and projected the Panthers to use the No. 6 pick in the 2026 draft on UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
“We do this every year. We put QBs high up on the list a year in advance. As the season goes on, we poke holes and they drop. At 6-foot-6, Iamaleava is mobile and has all the tools, but also has just one game in his career throwing for over 300 yards. If the Panthers are drafting this high, that means Bryce Young didn’t make the most of Year 3.”
Bryce Young has to prove himself in 2025 to the Carolina Panthers
But again, Young has a chance to convince the Panthers that he’s the guy, that he’s the quarterback of the present and the future, worthy of a contract extension.
Young, who played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, has his fifth-year option for the 2027 season still untouched. He will have a base salary of $1.03 million in 2025 and $1.145 million in 2026.
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