Carolina Panthers Bryce Young
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Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales shared what he thinks are the next steps for quarterback Bryce Young as he develops into a franchise star.
The 2026 season is going to be the fourth for Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young in the NFL, and his third under head coach Dave Canales. Now, it’s time for him to develop into the franchise quarterback that was promised with the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Recently, Canales spoke to The Athletic. There, he shared some details on where Young can improve to take the next steps offensively. That starts with his operation at the line of scrimmage and pre-snap.
“A big part of it is being able to operate at the line of scrimmage — not in the huddle — when we want to,” Canales said. “And he’s certainly capable of that. It’s not solely on him. It’s a group that’s pretty young. You have to trust all the guys to go up there, communicate verbally or nonverbally and execute what we’re doing. We’ve made huge strides in that regard. His ability to alter things based on what they’re giving you will give us another edge, which he’s continued to grow and had some great examples down the stretch where he identified things they were doing, got us to the right check and capitalized on some plays. Want to see him do that more when it’s appropriate. We don’t need to be changing things just to change it.”
Young is coming off his best season statistically in 2025. In 16 games, he completed 63.6 percent of passes for 3,011 yards and 23 touchdowns. Those were all career highs. Meanwhile, Carolina’s 8-9 record, 8-8 in games Young played, was the best they’ve had in his career. So, things are trending upward.
“And then for Bryce,” Canales added. “It’s the identification of early on the cues that the defense are giving us, to be able to eliminate parts of your progression before the ball’s even snapped. That happens with time. I’ve seen quarterbacks really own and master, which allows them to play lightning fast.”
This Season Could Determine Bryce Young’s Future With the Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young Carolina Panthers
GettyCarolina Panthers QB Bryce Young
Coming into the NFL, Bryce Young signed a four-year contract with the Carolina Panthers. That came with the standard fifth-year option, which the team has already exercised. So, it appears that he’ll be the starter in Carolina through 2027. At the time, GM Dan Morgan was sure that Young is the team’s future.
“Yeah, we’ve picked up his fifth-year option,” Morgan said. “And you know, Bryce is definitely our future. We have a ton of belief in him. I think you can see by what we’re doing around him. We’re building around him and what he does. He’s just this special guy with just the way he carries himself in the building every day. The leader that he’s becoming, the command that he’s taken to the offense. We’re super excited.”
That is great, but without a contract extension, it still leaves the Panthers the chance to change their minds. Young is still playing for a second contract, and if he were to regress in 2026, there’s no promise that would come in Carolina. At the same time, if he keeps improving, then the team would likely be happy to add that extension.
Panthers Named Top Landing Spot for Free Agent Wide Receiver
Deebo Samuel Washington Commanders
GettyWashington Commanders WR Deebo Samuel
One thing that could go a long way to helping Bryce Young is landing a premier wide receiver to the offense. That may now be coming, as the Panthers were named a top landing spot for Deebo Samuel.
NFL’s Nick Shook shared that the match between Carolina and Samuel makes a lot of sense. This comes a season after he was playing with the Washington Commanders.
“I have no idea how the Panthers view Xavier Legette, a playmaker who tempts onlookers into believing he can become a star but isn’t nearly consistent enough to realize that potential yet,” Shook wrote. “We know they have a stud in Tetairoa McMillan, and I’m personally a fan of Jalen Coker. Carolina already added John Metchie III, but why stop there? Throw Samuel, a rugged slot whose best days are admittedly behind him, into the equation to give Bryce Young another option.”
Young certainly wouldn’t turn down another playmaker going into the 2026 season. So, if there’s a way to make this happen, it could help boost Carolina in that NFC South race.