CHARLOTTE — The Panthers had a decision to make on quarterback Bryce Young this offseason, but it was an easy one.
General manager Dan Morgan said at a press conference on Tuesday that the team planned to pick up the fifth-year option on Young.
"Bryce has shown flashes of greatness this year against high level competition," Morgan said Tuesday after announcing the decision to pick up the option.
That will keep him here through the 2027 season, which was an easy call after the season he just had. He led the Panthers to their first NFC South title and home playoff game in a decade.
Young had a career season, setting new highs in everything from passing yards (3,011), touchdowns (23), completion percentage (63.6), to passer rating (87.8).
He also had six of his 12 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime this year, and that 12 remains the most of any quarterback in the league since 2023, when he entered the league.
He showed that late-game proficiency in a number of ways. In one-score games, his 101.2 passer rating was third in the league, trailing just a couple of guys named Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. His 3.8 touchdown-to-interception ratio in the second half of games was in the top five of the league, and he led the league in passing yards on fourth downs (285).
And since going for fourth downs (their 27 conversions led the league) is such a big part of their offensive philosophy, that's a good thing to be good at.
"I think Bryce did a great job this year and just really excited about moving forward and him still developing chemistry with our receivers, and just the pieces around him that we had," Morgan continued.
"If you look at Bryce on a day to day basis out there, his work ethic out there, his ability to command the huddle out there, take control of the line of scrimmage, make the proper checks, make the proper protection calls, and then really having that translate into Sunday or Saturday or whenever we play.
"I just felt like he had a lot more command out there this year, and really just kind of coming into his own and getting better every week, and just attacking every day. And that's really all you can ask for just from any player, let alone your quarterback."
The first overall pick in the 2023 draft, he's now under contract for the next two seasons, at a time when they're developing the passing game around a young receiving corps.
He'll be throwing to Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, and Xavier Legette throughout that time, along with Jimmy Horn Jr.. And with Coker going off in the Rams game and McMillan leading all rookie receivers this year, that seems like a good place to continue to build.
"It was unbelievable to watch the guys, just really a culmination of the work that's been happening, behind the scenes at practice, the conversations in the hallways, you know, in meeting rooms, and Bryce right at the center of all that," Panthers head coach Dave Canales said. "We've needed that time on task for this group, and then to see it come alive in the game and be something that we could count on and depend on, to play a really good Rams team here, was fantastic and to see their energy to see them not, shy away from the moment, but to attack it and find wins along the way."
His fellow captain, Derrick Brown, also said that Young has proven this year that he can play and can lead.
"Man, Bryce has had a damn good year," Brown said. "So many people rag on him, and s---, if it was easy, everybody would play quarterback in the league, but that ain't quite the case.
"So man, I'm just proud of him and his growth throughout the year, standing tall in front of the team, no matter if it was when we got beat in New England, coming to the locker room, we got something to say. I mean, we get it every single week."
Take a look at some of the best shots of Panthers quarterback Bryce Young.
The Carolina Panthers take on the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 12, 2025 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC. (Photo by Helen McGinnis/Carolina Panthers)
The Carolina Panthers take on the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 12, 2025 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC. (Photo by Laura Wolff/Carolina Panthers)
The Carolina Panthers face the New York Jets on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
The Carolina Panthers face the New York Jets on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
The Carolina Panthers face the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI.
The Carolina Panthers face the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI.
The Carolina Panthers face the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI.
The Carolina Panthers face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025 at Bank Of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
The Carolina Panthers take on the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 9, 2025 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
The Carolina Panthers face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.
The Carolina Panthers face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.
The Carolina Panthers face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.
The Carolina Panthers face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.
The Carolina Panthers face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.
The Carolina Panthers face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.
The Carolina Panthers face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.
The Carolina Panthers face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.
The Carolina Panthers face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.
The Carolina Panthers face the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA.
The Carolina Panthers face the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA.
The Carolina Panthers face the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA.
The Carolina Panthers face the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA.
The Carolina Panthers face the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA.
The Carolina Panthers face the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA.
The Carolina Panthers face the Los Angeles Rams Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025 at Bank Of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
The Carolina Panthers face the Los Angeles Rams Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025 at Bank Of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
The Carolina Panthers face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
The Carolina Panthers face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in New Orleans, LA.
The Carolina Panthers face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in New Orleans, LA.
The Carolina Panthers face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025 at Bank of American Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
The Carolina Panthers face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025 at Bank of American Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
The Carolina Panthers face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025 at Bank of American Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
The Carolina Panthers face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025 at Bank of American Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
The Carolina Panthers face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025 at Bank of American Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
The Carolina Panthers face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025 at Bank of American Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
The Carolina Panthers face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025 at Bank of American Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
The Carolina Panthers face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025 at Bank of American Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
The Carolina Panthers face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025 at Bank of American Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
The Carolina Panthers face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025 at Bank of American Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
The Carolina Panthers face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025 at Bank of American Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
The Carolina Panthers face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025 at Bank of American Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
The Carolina Panthers take on the Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 28, 2025 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC. (Photo by Helen McGinnis/Carolina Panthers)
The Carolina Panthers take on the Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 28, 2025 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC. (Photo by Helen McGinnis/Carolina Panthers)
The Carolina Panthers face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL
The Carolina Panthers face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL
The Carolina Panthers face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL
The Carolina Panthers face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL
The Carolina Panthers face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL
The Carolina Panthers face the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2025 at Bank of American Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
The Carolina Panthers face the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2025 at Bank of American Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
The Carolina Panthers face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025 at Bank of American Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
