Panthers 'most likely' outcome with Bryce Young leads to smart contract decision

The Carolina Panthers are heading into the 2026 NFL season coming off a playoff appearance and a near victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

But the NFC South is going to be a bit more challenging this season, with the resurgent New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers still set to compete at a high level. For Bryce Young and the offense, this upcoming season could be a big one.

ESPN's Dan Graziano agrees, as he's predicting that the "most likely outcome" this season for the Panthers and Young results in a contract extension that, while not a bank-breaker, is still a hefty raise for the former No. 1 overall pick.

Panthers 'most likely' to sign Bryce Young to contract extension

"Most likely outcome: The Panthers have a season similar to 2025 (maybe a little bit better) but miss the playoffs because their division got stronger around them," Graziano writes. "Young continues to show signs that he can be the guy, and without another obvious option, the Panthers extend him next spring with a contract that falls closer to the Daniel Jones range in terms of average annual salary than it does to the Dak Prescott tier."

Young being predicted to land a new contract extension shouldn't come as a surprise. The Panthers are, more likely than not, going to be sitting around the middle of the pack when it comes to the NFL Draft.

The offense is too good to lose so many games, and Young has played well enough that, barring regression to his earlier-career production, the Panthers should win quite a few games this season.

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But, just as Graziano notes, it's hard to imagine Young, in a new contract extension, getting anywhere close to the $60 million per-year that Prescott is getting right now.

Daniel Jones, sitting at $44 million per season, would still be a nice raise for Young without being so expensive for the Panthers that it would set them back for a long time if the deal doesn't pan out.

This season's outcome would be disappointing in the sense that they miss the playoffs, though seeing enough from Young to warrant signing him to an extension would be one positive sign for the now fourth-year QB.

Signing Young to a multi-year contract extension worth $44 million per-year or so would be a smart move for the Panthers, as it wouldn't hurt them in the short or long-term when it comes to roster construction, while still giving them a chance to compete in 2027.

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