Panthers Confirm Extension Timeline for 'Ascended' Bryce Young

Earlier reporting suggested it was highly unlikely that Bryce Young would get an extension this offseason. A brilliant camp, which he's certainly had so far, has not changed the Panthers' minds.

Front office executive Brandt Tilis has said before that he and GM Dan Morgan operate multiple years down the road, which means they fully expect Young to get an extension and stick around for a while.

That said, Tilis has now seemingly confirmed that they aren't going to ink anything this offseason. Young will have to earn it, and that puts all the pressure on the upcoming season.

Tilis did not divulge any negotiation details, but he said that he wants to "see how the year plays out." In other words, they're not going to extend him before they see how he looks, which means he'll stay on his rookie deal this year.

He also praised Young. Part of the problem is that it's hard to pin down just how good Young can be, especially in comparison to how bad he has sometimes been. That can be a good problem to have, but it makes an early extension nigh impossible.

Tilis said, "He ascended last year. There's still room for him to ascend. His ceiling currently is unknown. I think that's exciting for us. He's worked hard to get us all there."

When pressed, he said he believes Young's ceiling is unknown because there's no telling how good Young can be. It's not a negative, in this case. Tilis also doesn't think he expected to know better by this point in Young's career.

QB development is not an exact science. Just ask Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, and Geno Smith (all of whom broke out late, with the latter two getting help from Dave Canales).

The Panthers know this, and they have wanted to be patient with Young. Just because it's the beginning of year four and they don't have the clearest picture of what his ceiling could be doesn't mean they're not excited about it.