Extension for Panthers QB Bryce Young could be affected by C.J. Stroud

[ASFN Admin]

Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud could be connected through yet another step of their careers.

ESPN's NFL Nation recently came together to dish out their latest notes on the league's top extension candidates. And as far as the long-term relationship between the Carolina Panthers and their starting quarterback goes, mum's still the word . . . unless, perhaps, a familiar domino falls.

National insider Dan Graziano writes:

The Panthers are open to the idea of an extension for Young, and 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. They picked up his fifth-year option for 2027 at $25.904 million, which was a no-brainer because it means they'll be paying him a total of $31.83 million over the next two years. But with Houston seemingly in no hurry with Young's 2023 draftmate C.J. Stroud, there's no rush to jump the market and do a Young deal without seeing more.

Carolina, of course, opted for Young atop the 2023 NFL Draft—leaving Stroud to the Houston Texans at the second overall pick. The two California kids—who have known one another since the eighth grade—have, unsurprisingly, been linked ever since.

Stroud's phenomenal rookie campaign left many questioning the Panthers' selection of Young, who didn't flash nearly enough over the early parts of his pro career. But the tides turned a bit and leveled out in 2025, where Young led the franchise to their first division title in a decade while Stroud struggled in what has been, by far, his least productive season.

2026 may be a prove-it year for both, and whoever has the better one could be setting the market ahead of the other.

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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Extension for Panthers QB Bryce Young could be affected by C.J. Stroud

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