Have Panthers already made Bryce Young decision for 2026 season?

With third-year quarterback Bryce Young leading the charge, the Carolina Panthers entered their Week 14 bye at 7-6 and in the hunt for a playoff spot. 

Young produced a mixed bag of results from Week 1 through the final day of November. For a piece published on Wednesday, ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano touched upon Young's future with the Panthers beyond this coming January.

When Panthers have to make next Bryce Young call

"The Panthers will have to decide by the first week of May whether to pick up his fifth-year option for 2027," Graziano wrote about Young. "I expect them to do that because the cost will be reasonable (around $26.5M), but then the question becomes what to do after that."

Head coach Dave Canales benched Young in September 2024 after the signal-caller played poorly across the first two games of last season. More recently, Young won seven of his past 12 starts. He missed one game in October due to an ankle injury.

According to Pro Football Reference, Young ranks 23rd in the NFL among qualified players with a 45.6 adjusted QBR, 23rd with an 87.9 passer rating and 22nd with a 63.4 percent completion percentage on the season. He's 15th in the league with 18 touchdown passes, but only eight quarterbacks tossed more interceptions than Young (nine) over the campaign's first 13 weeks. 

How Panthers reportedly feel about Bryce Young ahead of Christmas

"I covered the Panthers this past weekend and asked a bunch of their people about Young," Graziano mentioned. "And from what I can tell, they still believe in him. They've used 10 different offensive line combinations this season and have a young receiver group, so the team seems to think the ups and downs can be blamed on more than just the quarterback."

For that same article, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler added that Young "seems to have good rapport and chemistry with Canales and his staff." While plenty could change regarding this situation before the new league year opens in March 2026, it sounds like Young will still be on the Carolina roster when the next training camp practices get underway. 

Following their break, the Panthers will play at the New Orleans Saints on Dec. 14. As of Wednesday morning, the ESPN Football Power Index gave Carolina a 23.6 percent chance to make the playoffs.