Week 8 had to show a heartbeat. Week 9 was supposed to offer improvement.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young checked both boxes with his 23-22 come-from-behind victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Now the franchise must deal with what that means for Young’s future just before the NFL trade deadline – Tuesday at 4:00 PM ET.
As of late last week, the Panthers were no longer actively shopping Young. But like a significant portion of the roster, they hadn’t declared him off-limits either, giving potential trade partners at least the chance to make an offer.
The challenge for the Panthers now is to assess Young’s little progress shown in Week 9 against the Saints and project it forward. Clearly, Young looked more confident in his second game since being benched following a tough Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. But Panthers head coach Dave Canales remained tempered by the result, describing Young’s performance as “solid” and declining to say whether Young would be the team’s starter in Munich, Germany, against the New York Giants in Week 10.
“He came up big in some critical moments and gave us a few chances,” Canales said. “I’m just proud of the step he’s taken again, doing everything we ask of him and getting us to the right plays at the right time. So it’s a nice step.”
It felt like Canales was being overly reserved in his comments about Young’s performance, with a sort of “we’ll see” and “let me watch the tape” vibe that only underlines his trade potential. It’s rare for head coaches to pass up an opportunity to excessively address a young quarterback at a press conference after a win, unless the situation calls for measurement or the staff still isn’t sold on the player. In this case with Young, it could be a little bit of both.
I think the Panthers are keeping the door ajar on Young’s availability heading into Tuesday’s deadline – followed by a potential trade situation in the offseason. It’s hard to see it any other way after Canales benched him after two games and then reacted so blandly when Young showed progress in successive weeks.
What’s happening now is twofold: the Panthers will wait to see if a team calls with an offer that forces the franchise to consider a deal for Young now, and if that doesn’t happen, he’ll have to earn the staff’s trust by ending of the season or actively shopping.
The offseason will be a conversation for another day, if that’s what develops. But the trade deadline is something we can talk about now. The quarterback class in the 2025 NFL Draft isn’t exactly great, and a litany of NFL teams thought Young had the stuff of a franchise QB for the 2023 draft. Those draft ratings are still there, and the rise of other former Panthers quarterbacks like Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold only helps keep Young’s viability alive in other corners of the league.
So who should the Panthers call Monday and Tuesday? Here’s the short list:
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders are boiling at quarterback and just fired their QB coach, offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. But they are also a year late in their efforts to solve the problem with a class full of talent. The time to get their franchise quarterback was last spring, but they remained at 13th overall, allowing the top six players at the position to be selected ahead of them. Now they’re staring down the barrel of a 2025 class that lacks top talent and overall depth at the position. Had Young been available in the 2024 draft instead of 2023, the general consensus is that he would likely have gone fourth overall, behind Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye – but ahead of Michael Penix, JJ McCarthy and Bo Nix. That seems like a much better option than a weak 2025 class – or playing it out next season without a solution at the position and hoping for something better in the 2026 draft.
Trade for Young and start him when he’s ready.
Tennessee titans
I believe Will Levis will get another chance to remain the Titans’ starting quarterback this season. Probably soon. But I don’t think the Titans should bypass an alternate plan in the meantime, even if they remain in the mix for a top-five draft pick for the rest of the season (which is likely). After being coached by Nick Saban at Alabama, Young has the mental toughness to work with Titans head coach Brian Callahan. And resolving another option at QB at the trade deadline would open up Tennessee’s options to use its first-round pick where it’s needed most: the offensive line… again.
Trade for Young, sit him out for the rest of the season and declare 2025 an open QB competition.
Cleveland Browns
There has to be a viable alternative to Deshaun Watson. Managing director Andrew Berry likes value purchases. I don’t see this connection happening due to the salary cap reality of Watson’s contract and ownership. But it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done.
Jets from New York
Considering there’s a chance of a total wipeout of the organization next offseason — especially if the Jets crater comes from here — it’s hard to see any more trade deadline signings happening. This is more of a franchise that I would point to an acquisition of Young in the offseason rather than during the season. Other than Rodgers, they don’t have a quarterback plan. That needs to change, regardless of how this season ends.
Seattle Seahawks
Geno Smith has one year left on his contract. I don’t think Seattle will be inclined to do an extension with him unless they can get favorable salary terms – and even then, they could still choose to move on. Sam Howell has a deal through 2025 and is a viable alternative to Smith. He shouldn’t be the only alternative. Like the Jets, I think this would be more of an offseason pursuit than at the deadline.
Los Angeles Rams
There is no viable long-term plan behind Matthew Stafford. Young has the football IQ to handle Sean McVay’s offense and the skills to thrive in it. As for having the mental toughness to meet McVay’s expectations, I’ll again call on Young’s years with Saban.
New York Giants
Daniel Jones is what he is. He will have games that give Giants fans hope that a turn will be made, and then he will have games that make it seem like no turn exists – just an endless straight road of frustration that seems to have no beginning or end. At some point, the franchise has to give itself another option. I still believe Brian Daboll is one of the best coaches in the league to work with young quarterbacks. His reputation has certainly been damaged in that regard given the Giants’ struggles, but so has Young’s. I think it’s a couple that can save each other’s careers.
For now, that’s a snapshot of Young’s market. If he holds out past Tuesday’s trade deadline — which still seems the most likely scenario — that grouping could shrink or expand. It could also be a trade conversation that ends with little more than wasted breath if Young can continue to move into the starting job over the past two weeks. Of course, to do that, Young needs to know if he’ll even start in Week 10. And for now, it appears the Panthers’ staff isn’t willing to make that commitment.
