NFL Execs Skeptical Bryce Young Extension Gets Done This Offseason

The Panthers executed the fifth-year option on emerging quarterback Bryce Young, whom NFL evaluators believe still has some physical limitations but did reach the playoffs last year, and have floated the possibility of a contract extension.

Rival front offices do not fancy the odds of that actually coming to pass.

Panthers general manager Dan Morgan addressed Young’s future with the team nominally when asked about it in a recent radio interview, saying: "In terms of long-term contract, that's something that we're talking about here internally, and we'll do it at the right time." 

That leaves plenty of wiggle room, and other NFL executives, including some who are higher on Young than might be the norm, cautioned against the Panthers being in a rush to reach those conclusions before watching Young perform for another season.

What Are The Drawbacks?

“You worry about the size and the frame, and how much he will push the ball down the field,” one general manager told SportsBoom. 

“It’s not a prototypical package. Even a mid-range deal would make me a little uneasy. What’s the rush?”

Indeed.

Young continues to make strides, cutting down on brutal mistakes and leaning into his athleticism more. And the Panthers continue to build up the cast around him. He reminds some a little too much of failed Miami top five pick Tua Tagovailoa and Young, as a top overall pick, is never going to have the upside of other young quarterbacks because of a lack of size and optimal strength.

Tagovailoa fell apart after getting a mega-deal from Miami, as did Arizona’s Kyler Murray, another undersized former first-overall pick. With those quarterbacks just joining new teams on veteran-minimum deals, it stuck many as an odd time for the Panthers to want to buy out the rest of Young’s prime for a price point they might quickly regret.

We’d anticipate them moving in a prudent fashion with this massive organizational decision.