Carolina Panthers fans in Charlotte have spent three years waiting to see if Bryce Young was worth the No. 1 pick. Five games into 2026, Young is setting a franchise touchdown mark, and the conversation has shifted to what his next contract will cost.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Wednesday that Houston was willing to pay C.J. Stroud well above $50 million per year, and that Stroud and Young “both appear well-positioned for offseason negotiations” in a growing quarterback market. Stroud went one pick after Young in the 2023 draft, which makes whatever Houston pays him the most direct comparison Carolina will have.
What Bryce Young has done in 2026
Young has completed 121 of 201 passes for 1,549 yards, 11 touchdown passes and two interceptions, with a 98.5 passer rating and a 3-2 record. That includes two scores to Tommy Tremble in Sunday’s win in Philadelphia. His 85.2 overall PFF grade ranks sixth among 35 qualifying quarterbacks, and his two turnover-worthy plays rank third-fewest. It’s a five-game sample, but Young’s soaring stock follows an 8-8 season in 2025 with 23 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions.
Carolina already bought time. The team exercised Young’s fifth-year option in April, which guarantees him $26.5 million in 2027. Dave Canales has been firm about where Young stands. “He’s our guy — he’s our guy, and I love the trajectory that he’s on,” Canales said in August, per ESPN.
Where a Young extension could land
Nobody knows the number yet, because the Panthers haven’t committed to one. Executive vice president Brandt Tilis said this summer that Young’s “ceiling is currently unknown,” per NFL.com. The market gives a framework, though. Patrick Mahomes tops Over the Cap’s QB rankings at $64 million per year, and 13 quarterbacks sit at $51 million or more. Brock Purdy, a 2022 draftee, signed for $53 million per year.
If Young keeps the Panthers’ offense thriving through December, a deal in the $52 million to $55 million range is realistic, landing next to Purdy and Baker Mayfield. A midseason fade likely pushes Carolina toward something closer to Daniel Jones’ $44 million average, or toward simply letting the option year play out. Either way, Young’s hot start puts him in a much stronger spot than he held in January.
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