The two quarterbacks taken at the top of the 2023 NFL draft have traveled very different roads, and that gap is now showing up in the contract conversation.
Carolina paid a steep price to move up to No. 1 and take Bryce Young, the Alabama star and 2021 Heisman Trophy winner. A few minutes later, Houston answered by selecting Ohio State’s C.J.
Stroud. Since then, their early careers have unfolded in sharply different ways.
Young’s rookie year was a grind from start to finish. He started all but one game for a Panthers team that went 2-15, completing 59.8 percent of his passes for 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He was under constant pressure, taking 62 sacks, and he lost six of his 11 fumbles.
Stroud, by contrast, came in and immediately looked like the real thing. In 15 starts, he completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 4,108 yards, with 23 touchdown passes against just five interceptions.
He also added 167 rushing yards and three scores. The Texans won the AFC South, and Stroud collected NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors along with a Pro Bowl nod.
He was sacked 38 times and lost only four of eight fumbles.
Young has since taken steps forward over the past two seasons and helped Carolina win the NFC South in 2025. Stroud has had his share of ups and downs lately, but Houston has still reached the playoffs in each of his three seasons. That progress led both teams to pick up the fifth-year options on their young quarterbacks.
Now the focus has shifted to the next financial step. ESPN’s NFL Nation writers examined each team and the player most likely to be extended, and both quarterbacks were part of the discussion.
Dan Graziano noted that Carolina is willing to talk about a deal for Young, saying, “The Panthers are open to the idea of an extension for Young,” and adding that “they continue to say they believe in him as their long-term franchise QB. But they aren't in a hurry to do a deal, and it's possible this doesn't happen until next offseason…”
Graziano also pointed to the Texans’ stance on Stroud, writing, “But with Houston seemingly in no hurry with Young's 2023 draftmate C.J. Stroud,” he added, “there’s no rush to jump the market and do a Young deal without seeing more.”
Houston’s wait-and-see approach is backed up by what happened in the postseason. Stroud had a rough playoff run in the split with the Steelers and Patriots, completing only 51.9 percent of his throws for 462 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions, including four picks against New England. He was sacked three times in both games, and at Pittsburgh he fumbled five times, losing two of them.
DJ Bien-Aime reported that “Stroud and the Texans aren't close to a deal as of late June,” and described the situation by saying, “Houston and its quarterback are in a tricky spot because last season did not end the way either would’ve preferred…” He added that “it's gearing up to be a prove-it season for Stroud.”
For now, both quarterback situations are worth tracking closely. The only question is how long that tracking lasts.
In Other News...
ESPN Just Took A Clear Side On The Panthers Offseason Debate
ESPNs Seth Walder came away thinking the Panthers have done enough this offseason to move in the right direction, handing Carolina a B grade for its work so far. The roster makeover has included adding pass rusher Jaelan Phillips, linebacker Devin Lloyd and more help up front with veteran linemen Rasheed Walker and Luke Fortner, plus draft picks Monroe Freeling and Sam Hecht, all part of a clear attempt to give this team more size, depth and flexibility.
The debate now shifts to how much of that progress can be felt around Bryce Young, who is still playing on his current deal through 2027 by way of a fifth-year option. Carolina has also locked in Jalen Coker on a three-year, $34 million extension through 2029, but the broader offseason conversation still circles the biggest questions on the defensive side and whether the Panthers have added enough certainty, especially with Lloyd, to make the whole plan hold together. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Suddenly Face A Big Decision On Their New Pass Rusher
A hypothetical three-team trade has pushed the Panthers back into the conversation around tight end help, with Chicago reportedly eyeing edge rusher Josh Sweat and Arizona looking for draft compensation in a deal that would ripple across the NFC. Sweat, who previously played for the Eagles and turned in a strong season with the Cardinals, has been at the center of trade chatter as teams around the league look for ways to strengthen their pass rush.
For Carolina, the appeal would be obvious in a pass-catching tight end, especially with Tommy Tremble leading Panthers tight ends with just 249 receiving yards last season. The framework would send draft picks to Arizona as part of the package, but the bigger question for the Panthers is whether a move like this could finally give Bryce Young another reliable middle-of-the-field option while the rest of the league keeps circling a Cardinals defender who suddenly looks like he could be at the center of something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Face One Defining Trade Call That Could Reshape This Offseason
A possible Carolina offseason pivot has centered on one simple question: whether the Panthers should keep building around their current pass-catching group or use a trade chip to address another part of the offense. The idea on the table would send Xavier Legette out and bring a different piece back into the mix, one that could change how the rest of the depth chart is managed.
The ripple effect is what makes the discussion interesting for Carolina. Any move that adds another established target would force the Panthers to sort out how they use their tight end room, and it could put Tommy Tremble on the bubble as the roster takes shape. For a team still trying to sharpen its identity on offense, it is the kind of call that can quietly define an offseason even before anything becomes official. [Read more 🡒]