Week 8 was to feature a pulse. Week 9 should offer improvement.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young checked both boxes with his 23-22 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
The franchise must now figure out what this means for Young’s future as the NFL trade deadline approaches at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
As of late last week, the Panthers were not actively shopping Young. However, as a significant part of the list, they had also not declared it out of reach, at least opening the possibility for potential business partners to prepare an offer.
The challenge for the Panthers now is to evaluate the small window of progress Young showed 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 outcome, calling Young’s performance “solid” and declining to say whether Young would be the team’s Week 10 starter in Munich, Germany , against the New York Giants.
“He played an important role in some critical moments and gave us opportunities on several occasions,” Canales said. “I’m just proud of the step he took again, taking everything we asked him to do, getting us to the right plays at the right time. So this is a big step.
It felt like Canales was being too reserved in his comments on Young’s performance, offering a sort of “we’ll see” and “let me watch the tape” vibe that only underlined his commercial availability. It’s rare for head coaches to take the opportunity to excessively talk about a young quarterback in a press conference after a win, unless the situation calls for action or the staff doesn’t is still not sold to the player. In Young’s case, it could be a bit of both.
I think the Panthers are keeping the door slightly ajar on Young’s availability before Tuesday’s deadline — followed by a potential trade situation this offseason. It’s hard to see things any other way after Canales benched him after two games, then responded so adamantly when Young showed progress in consecutive weeks.
What’s happening now is twofold: The Panthers will wait to see if a team calls with an offer that will force the franchise to consider dealing Young now, and if that doesn’t happen, he’ll have to earn the trust of the staff by the end of the season, or end up being actively purchased.
The offseason will be a conversation for another day, if that’s what develops. But the trade deadline is something we can talk about right now. The 2025 NFL Draft quarterback class isn’t exactly great, and a litany of NFL teams thought Young had the makings of a franchise QB for the 2023 draft. These evaluations of the draft are still available, and the emergence of other former Panthers quarterbacks like Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold only helps maintain Young’s viability in other corners of the league.
So who should call the Panthers on Monday and Tuesday? Here is the short list:
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders are cooked at the quarterback position and just fired their QB coach, offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. But they’re also a year late in trying to solve the problem of a class full of talent. The time was right to draft their franchise quarterback last spring, but they held on to the 13th overall pick, allowing the six best players at the position to be selected ahead of them. They are now staring down the barrel of a 2025 class that lacks high-end talent and overall depth at the position. If Young had been available in the 2024 draft rather than 2023, the general consensus I get is that he probably would 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 struggling next season with no resolution at the position and hoping for something better in the 2026 draft.
Trade for Young and start him whenever 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 running 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 the possibility for Tennessee to use its first-round pick where it’s needed most: the offensive line…again.
Trade for Young, sit him for the rest of the season, and declare 2025 an open QB competition.
Cleveland Browns
There has to be some sort of viable alternative to Deshaun Watson. Managing director Andrew Berry loves value-added purchases. I don’t see this connection happening due to the salary cap realities of Watson’s contract and ownership. But that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be the case.
New York Jets
Given that there’s a chance of a total sweep of the organization next offseason — especially if the Jets crater from here — it’s hard to see any other trade deadline purchases having place. This is more of a franchise I would point to acquiring Young in the off-season rather than during the season. They have no quarterback plan other than Rodgers. 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 extend his contract unless they 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. It should not 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 live up to McVay’s expectations, I’ll again invoke Young’s years with Saban.
New York Giants
Daniel Jones is who he is. He’ll have plays that give Giants fans hope that a milestone will be reached, and then he’ll have plays that make it seem like no corner exists – just a straight, endless path of frustration that doesn’t seem to have a beginning or end. At some point, the franchise must give itself another option. I still believe Brian Daboll is one of the best coaches in the league at working with young quarterbacks. His reputation is certainly damaged in this regard given the Giants’ struggles, as is Young’s. I think this is a pair that could help save everyone’s careers.
For now, this is a snapshot of Young’s market. If it persists beyond Tuesday’s trade deadline — which still seems like the most likely scenario — this group could shrink or expand. This could also become a trade conversation that ends in a wasted breath if Young can take the final two weeks off and continue to get his starting job back. Of course, to do that, Young needs to know if he starts in Week 10. And as of now, it doesn’t appear the Panthers staff is ready to make that commitment.
