Bryce Young is making the Panthers’ decision on his future easier
No idea in the NFL is foolproof, but “draft the Heisman-winning quarterback from the winningest college football program of the century” sure seems like it would be a safe bet. Not so, as the Carolina Panthers are learning.
Bryce Young, the No. 1 pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, is slowly but relentlessly playing himself out of a starting job. The Panthers are currently 6-6 after Monday night’s loss to San Francisco, mathematically in the playoff hunt but not fooling anyone.
That game provided a perfect microcosm of Young’s struggles and limitations. The 49ers’ Brock Purdy threw interceptions on three straight possessions, with two coming in San Francisco territory and one in the red zone for Carolina, and yet Young was only able to convert them into three points. Young threw for just 169 yards on 18-of-29 attempts, with two interceptions and just one highlight-worthy touchdown:
What a throw
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 25, 2025
📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/X2ZPjbRb57
That dynamic — one good moment in a sea of ugly ones — has characterized Young’s 2025 season. With the exception of last week’s game against the Falcons, where he threw for 448 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, his entire season has been an underwhelming one. He’s surpassed 200 yards passing just twice on the season. Four times, he’s thrown more interceptions than touchdowns. He ranks near the bottom of all season-long starters in most major statistical categories — completion percentage, yardage, passer rating, QB rating.
The problem, of course, is that this isn’t exactly out of character for Young on the professional level. Over 41 games, he’s just 12-27 as a starter and has struggled against every team that’s not Atlanta.
Young’s woes are all the more apparent now that Carolina has added some significant key pieces, including rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and newly acquired running back Rico Dowdle. The Panthers defense ranks in the middle of the pack in major stats like yardage and points allowed … which is significant given the fact that Carolina ranked dead last in both categories in 2024. As the rest of the team builds, the quarterback is stuck in the same middling spot as last year, and the year before that.
Young’s postgame press conference Monday night hit the same familiar themes over and over again — lack of execution, flush it after 24 hours, and so on. What else can you say, really, about yet another underwhelming performance?
“Next week we're going to be 0-0,” he said. “We don't have the luxury to think about the big picture thing with us. That's not a good recipe for this league. Everyone demands our attention.”
Young may not be focusing on the bigger picture, but the Panthers now must. The key date for Young’s Carolina future is May 1, 2026. By then, the Panthers must decide whether to offer Young a fifth-year option on his rookie deal. Also of note: that date will come after the 2026 NFL Draft, when the Panthers will have the opportunity to draft a quarterback for the future.
At six wins now, with the Rams, Seahawks and Bucs twice still to come on their schedule, the Panthers are likely to fall in the upper middle of the first round — too low to get one of the top potential quarterback prospects, but not so far to be out of the hunt entirely.
Young has five games left to make his case for an extension. He was a costly selection — the Panthers traded away a raft of picks to the Bears to move up and grab him — but he could end up being more costly if Carolina stays with him going forward.