At this point, Bryce Young has turned his story around enough that the Carolina Panthers may be headed for a very expensive offseason conversation.
A year ago, the picture looked bleak. Carolina had paid a massive price to move up and take the Alabama quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, then watched him struggle through a rough rookie year.
On the other side of that decision, the Houston Texans landed C.J. Stroud at No. 2 out of Ohio State and got one of the greatest rookie quarterback seasons ever.
Now the plot has shifted. Young has steadily climbed, Stroud’s pace has cooled a bit, and both quarterbacks are playing at a high level this season.
Stroud has thrown for 1,714 yards with nine touchdowns and one interception. Young has put up 1,549 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions.
That production has put both players in line for major money, according to Jeremy Fowler at ESPN. Fowler wrote that the Texans were ready to extend Stroud on a deal worth well above $50 million per year, but Stroud recognized the bigger picture and where he fits in a rising quarterback market. Fowler added that “Stroud and Carolina's Bryce Young both appear well-positioned for offseason negotiations . . .”
That $50 million annual figure sounds like the floor, not the finish line. The bigger question is guaranteed money, because that’s where the real security lives in NFL contracts.
And the number there could get massive. Fowler’s reporting points out that $100 million in guarantees is not out of the question, and 12 of the top 13 highest-paid quarterbacks in the league have already secured at least that much on their deals.
It may look enormous on paper, but for the way Young is playing now, it reads as the going rate.
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With the trade deadline looming, Sanders has become a name to watch simply because his situation has stalled so completely. Reports indicate Carolina could explore a deal if another team is willing to part with draft compensation, which would give the Panthers a chance to get something back from a player who has been more of a healthy scratch than an option on Sundays. [Read more 🡒]