Panthers officially exercise Bryce Young's fifth-year option

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Bryce Young is officially under contract for the 2027 season. The Panthers announced on Wednesday that they have exercised their option on the quarterback's contract for next year. The team indicated earlier this month that they planned to make that move once the draft was over. Young is now set to make a guaranteed salary of $25.904 million in 2027. Young was the first overall pick in 2023, but had a rough rookie year and was benched early in 2024. He returned to the starting lineup after Andy Dalton was involved in a car accident and played well enough to cement his hold on the job for 2025. There were ups and downs last year, but the Panthers won the NFC South and lost a squeaker to the Rams in the Wild Card round in January. The next big question for Young and the Panthers concerns a multi-year contract extension. Young is eligible to sign one at any time, but it remains to be seen if the team will wait to push for one until they have more on-field information to use in their decision to tie their future to the quarterback.