Former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young has been given a label ahead of the 2026 season that no signal-caller wants any part of
Alabama QB Bryce Young has a big year four ahead of him, and he’s garnering some labels that many players won’t want any part of.
While we await to see who wins the quarterback battle between Keelon Russell and Austin Mack, and who ultimately gets drafted from those two, the facts tell us that Bryce Young is not onmly one of the best quarterbacks to come from the Alabama Crimson Tide football program, but arguably the best in recent memory.
And while year three in the NFL showed that Bryce had what it takes to win at the highest level, the truth is, the Carolina Panthers aren’t completely sold. If they were, he would have already signed an extension ahead of year four. But he hasn’t, and that has him under some serious pressure.
Bryce Young 2025 stats
- 3,011 passing yards.
- 23 Touchdowns, 11 interceptions.
- 47.6 QBR.
Bryce Young labeled one of the NFL players under the most pressure in 2026
“Since 2023, a total of 42 quarterbacks have had at least 500 plays in the NFL. Bryce Young, a former first overall pick, is 34th in adjusted EPA/play and 38th in success rate. There might have been some level of improvement over the past two years, but it’s still obviously insufficient. In 2025, Young was 25th/30 qualifying quarterbacks in adjusted EPA/play and 22nd in success rate.”
“The Carolina Panthers picked up Young’s fifth-year option, so he’s already under contract through 2027 — and he will make almost $32 million over the next two seasons. But this year could be definitive for him. If Young can’t take a significant step forward in Year 4, the Panthers will have to strongly consider moving in another direction, because it will become clear Young doesn’t have a high enough ceiling.” – Wendell Ferreira, A to Z Sports
What Bryce Young needs to do to earn a long-term deal
As Ferreira alluded to, year four has to be a jump for the former Crimson Tide signal caller. The Panthers have added weapons that fit his skillset in recent seasons, and they have shored up the protection unit in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Now is the time for Young to show that he can carry the load. To show that he can make high leverage throws in game-winning scenarios. He’s grown from playing small and running around like a chicken with its head cut off to being calm-footed and delivering with pressure around him.
Doing it on a down-in and down-out basis will be critical.