Bryce Young’s latest performance has the Panthers QB conversation getting even louder to the point it’s impossible to ignore
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young stacked another strong game on Sunday night against the Detroit Lions and the conversation about his future is getting impossible to ignore.
When the Carolina Panthers opted to table extension talks with quarterback Bryce Young heading into his fourth year of his rookie contract, the organization hoped it would be a conversation they could ignore until after the 2026 season.
The Panthers had every right to take that approach. They needed to see more from Young before committing a massive extension to the former #1 overall pick and seeing how quickly previous deals around the NFL with highly drafted quarterbacks soured for those teams and set them back in a major way.
Young understood the Panthers’ approach as well and welcomed the challenge of having to prove himself as a franchise quarterback. Through the first four weeks of the season, Young is balling out and turning this into a conversation the Panthers can’t ignore.
Bryce Young had another career night on Sunday Night Football and the fans let him know
Sunday night’s win over the Detroit Lions was the latest game in which Young had one of the best games of his career, and it’s becoming routine to see him play at this level. Young finished the game with 329 yards and two touchdowns, a game that started with Young completing all 11 of his first 11 passes and 14 of his first 15 attempts.
He was absolutely in a groove on Sunday and doing it without multiple starting offensive linemen and starting receivers. He proved that when the lights are bright and the pressure is on, he’s going to rise up to the occasion. And to make things sweeter for Young, he left the field at Bank of America Stadium with a shower of “MVP” chants from the fans
“Yeah, I heard it,” Young said after the game. “In the moment, you just focus on executing and trying to move the team. Obviously, a huge blessing with the support and the Bank tonight was electric.”
Bryce Young needs to be recognized as squarely in the MVP race
Listen, it’s still early. We’re only one month into the NFL season and there’s a lot of football to be played. But, with the way Young has played through the first four games of the regular season, he deserves to be squarely in the mix for the MVP watch list.
At the very least, Young is playing at a Pro Bowl level. On Sunday, he extended his lead as the NFL passing yard leader with 1,268 yards while ranking inside the Top-3 among numerous other passing stats. The Panthers said they knew what success looks like and wanted to see it consistently come through for Young, and that’s what they’re seeing.
“I don’t worry about that, I just worry about him taking one week at a time, continuing to grow our concepts, making sure we’re protecting those things, and making sure his game his right,” head coach Dave Canales said. “His eyes are right, his footwork, the whole thing. That’s got to be the focus.”
Young is on pace for a 5,000-yard passing season and over 30 touchdowns, both of which would easily clear his career-highs for a single season and rank among the best statistical season in franchise history. His 1,268 yards through four weeks is already the most in franchise history through the first month of the season.
“That guy, his road to where he got to where he is now has been incredible,” WR Tetairoa McMillan said. “He’s elevated every single year and he comes in with the same mindset every day. His authenticity is really special. He comes into this building wanting to be great. That’s all you can really ask for in your captain and your leader.”
It’s clear where things are headed with Young and the Panthers if he can continue to sustain this strong start. It won’t be a question of should they pay him, it’ll be a question of how much they actually will pay him.
