Bryce Young’s next step has to come in a hurry, and the Carolina Panthers aren’t exactly handing him much to work with.
Young has shown steady growth since his rough rookie year, but the clock is ticking on the kind of leap that changes everything. The Panthers would love to see him play his way into a deal worth $45 or $50 million on an extension. To get there, though, he’d have to make a major jump in year four, the kind of jump quarterbacks rarely pull off.
And the problem is pretty clear: the help around him just isn’t strong enough to carry the load.
Carolina has tried to build up the offense, but the bigger investment during Young’s career has gone to the defense, and several offensive moves have missed the mark. The draft pick of Xavier Legette was bad.
Trading up for Jonathon Brooks was bad. Passing on Makai Lemon may be bad.
Signing DJ Chark and Hayden Hurst was awful. Extending Chuba Hubbard was not great, either.
There are some pieces worth pointing to, but they don’t add up to much. Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker give the Panthers something at receiver, yet the rest of the group is thin and unconvincing. Xavier Legette, Chris Brazzell, Ja'Tavion Sanders, Tommy Tremble, Mitchell Evans, John Metchie, David Moore, Brycen Tremayne, and Jimmy Horn don’t exactly strike fear into anyone.
That’s part of why CBS Sports analyst Jared Dubin graded Carolina as the fifth-worst QB supporting cast in the league. Dubin scored each unit on a one-to-five scale - the offensive line, running backs, pass-catchers, and offensive coaching staff - and said he landed on threes across the board for the Panthers.
That might sound middling on the surface, but it adds up to a ranking of 28th in the NFL. Once you dig into the details, it’s hard to argue the point.
The backfield is another concern. Chuba Hubbard has been solid before, but he averaged 3.8 yards per carry in 2025, and Jonathon Brooks has only 12 career touches in two seasons. That’s not much to lean on.
Coaching brings its own uncertainty. Brad Idzik has never called plays before, though he comes from the Dave Canales tree. And Canales hasn’t really delivered good, efficient, or exciting offenses with the Panthers.
The offensive line may be the one area that deserves a little more faith, but even there, questions remain. The team still doesn’t know who will start at center or left tackle, and the rest of the unit is good without being elite.
So if Young is going to force Carolina into a pricey extension, he’s going to have to do it himself.
In Other News...
Tetairoa McMillan Camp Mess Has Panthers Fans And Parents Heated
What was supposed to be a youth football camp tied to Tetairoa McMillan instead turned into a frustrating day for families at A.C. Reynolds High School on July 1, when parents showed up expecting an event that was no longer happening. McMillan was not involved in planning and could not attend, and FlexWork Sports later confirmed the camp had been canceled back in February, leaving a messy gap between what families were told and what was actually on the calendar.
The school added another layer to the confusion by saying it never approved the event in the first place, and the NCHSAA dead period would have blocked facility use anyway. For Panthers fans, it is the kind of off-field headache that reflects poorly on everyone attached to the name, especially when the communication breakdown lands on parents who were simply trying to give their kids a football experience. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers May Finally Have A Real Answer To Bryce Young's TE Problem
The Panthers have spent the offseason trying to sort out a tight end room that still looks more functional than threatening for Bryce Youngs passing game. Tommy Tremble, JaTavion Sanders and Mitchell Evans are the names currently in line for the job, but Carolina has been working with a group that needs more proven help in the middle of the field, especially as the rest of the passing options remain relatively thin behind Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker.
One possible path to easing that pressure is a veteran addition in free agency, and the fit makes sense on paper because Carolina is looking for a pass-catching tight end who can give Young a more reliable target. The appeal is easy to see after a strong run earlier in the players career, though the most recent season was far less productive, which leaves the Panthers weighing upside against the risk that the answer might not be as simple as the need. [Read more 🡒]
John Metchie May Have One Edge Panthers Fans Should Watch Closely
John Metchie IIIs arrival gives the Panthers something more than another name in the receiver room. After signing a one-year deal, he is back alongside Bryce Young, the quarterback he once caught passes from at Alabama, and that shared history matters in a competition where timing, trust and familiarity can separate the last few roster spots.
Metchie is now in the mix with several other wideouts as Carolina sorts through its depth chart, but the connection with Young is the one edge fans will notice first. The two already know how to work together, and for a team trying to sharpen its passing game, that kind of built-in chemistry can make Metchie a player worth watching closely as camp unfolds. [Read more 🡒]