Bryce Young’s fifth-year option officially picked up
Carolina extends their young signal caller for one year
Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) reacts in the fourth quarter in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images The Carolina Panthers have officially picked up quarterback Bryce Young’s fifth-year option. This is news in the most technical sense, as the team indicated their intention to do so months ago .
This move has no effect on the team’s 2026 cap space and only ties them to Young through the 2o27 season. What will the option cost? The fifth year option price tag is calculated according to a scale set forth in the 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NFL and the NFL Players Association.
The tiers and their payment requirements are as follows, per overthecap. com : Basic: $22,936,000 Playtime: $26,530,000 One Pro Bowl: $39,723,000 Multiple Pro Bowls: $46. 073,000 Young qualifies for the playtime tier as he has played in both 50% or greater of all Panthers snaps over his past three seasons and 75% or greater of the same across two of his three seasons.
As you can see, this could have been a much harder decision if Young had earned a Pro Bowl nod. Should I be mad or excited? Honestly, both are valid emotions.