Panthers picking up QB Bryce Young’s 5th-year option

The Carolina Panthers will pick up quarterback Bryce Young's fifth-year option, general manager Dan Morgan said Tuesday.

The option will pay the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft a guaranteed $26.5 million in 2027.

Young, 24, led the Panthers to an NFC South title this season while setting career highs in completion percentage (63.6), passing yards (3,011) and touchdown passes (23) in 16 starts.

He completed 21 of 40 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 34-31 home wild-card loss against the Los Angeles Rams. He also rushed for 24 yards and a score.

"Bryce has shown flashes of greatness this year against high level competition," Morgan said at his season-ending press conference. "Just as a team we weren't as consistent as we want to be on a game-to-game basis, but that's part of what happens with a young team.

"Bryce did a great job this year, and I'm just really excited about moving forward and still developing chemistry with our receivers and just the pieces around him."

Morgan did not rule out a long-term contract for Young, who missed one start this season with an ankle sprain.

"We are still talking through the roster and where things look from a big picture view," Morgan said. "That is still stuff that is up in the air that we are still working through at this point."

Young is 14-30 as a starter through three seasons, completing 61.4% of his passes for 8,291 yards, 49 TDs and 30 interceptions. He has rushed for 718 yards and eight scores.