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Week 8 had to showcase a pulse. Week 9 had to offer improvement.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young checked both boxes with his come-from-behind 23-22 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Now the franchise has to process what that means for Young’s future on the doorstep of the NFL trade deadline — which is 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
As of late last week, the Panthers were not actively shopping Young. However, like a sizable portion of the roster, they hadn’t declared him off limits, either, opening at least the opportunity for prospective trade partners to put together an offer.
The challenge for the Panthers now is assessing Young’s small window of progress showcased in Week 9 against the Saints and projecting that forward. Clearly, Young looked more confident in his second game back since being benched following a rough Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. But Panthers head coach Dave Canales remained tempered with the result, describing Young’s performance as “solid” and declining to say whether Young would be the team’s Week 10 starter in Munich, Germany, against the New York Giants.
“He came up big in some critical moments and gave us an opportunity a couple of times,” Canales said. “Just proud of the step that he took again, taking all the things we’re asking him to do, getting us to the right plays at the right time. So, a great step.”
It felt like Canales was overly reserved in his comments about Young’s performance, offering a kind of “we’ll see” and “let me watch the tape” vibe that only underscores his trade availability. Rarely do head coaches slow roll an opportunity to excessively talk up a young quarterback in a news conference after a win, unless the situation calls for measurement or the staff still isn’t sold on the player. In this instance with Young, it might be a little of both.
I think the Panthers are keeping a door slightly ajar on Young’s availability going into the Tuesday deadline — followed by a potential trade situation into the offseason. It’s hard to see it any other way after Canales benched him after two games and then responded so flatly when Young showed progress in back-to-back weeks.
What’s happening now is two-pronged: The Panthers will wait and see if a team calls with an offer that forces the franchise to consider dealing Young now, and if that doesn’t happen, he’ll have to win the staff’s confidence by the end of the season, or end up being actively shopped.
The offseason will be a conversation for a different day, if that’s what develops. But the trade deadline is something we can talk about right 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 going into the 2023 draft. Those draft assessments are still out there, and the emergence of other former Panthers quarterbacks like Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold is only helping keep Young’s viability alive in other corners of the league.
So who should be calling the Panthers on Monday and Tuesday? Here’s the short list:
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders are cooked at quarterback, and just fired their QB coach, offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. But they’re also one year too late in trying to resolve the problem with a class loaded with talent. The time to get their franchise quarterback was this past spring, but they stood pat at the 13th overall pick, allowing the top six players at the position to be selected in front of them. Now they’re staring down the barrel of a 2025 class that lacks top-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 likely would have slotted fourth overall, behind Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye — but ahead of Michael Penix, J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix. That seems like a much better option than a weak 2025 class — or slugging it out next season without a resolution at the position and hoping for something better in the 2026 draft.
Trade for Young and start him as soon as he’s ready.
Tennessee Titans
I believe Will Levis will get another shot to remain the Titans’ starting quarterback this season. Likely soon. But I don’t think the Titans should bypass an alternative plan in the meantime, even if they remain in the mix for a top-five draft pick over the remainder 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 the rest of the season, and declare 2025 an open QB competition.
Cleveland Browns
There has to be some kind of viable alternative to Deshaun Watson. General manager Andrew Berry loves value buys. I don’t see this connection happening because of the salary-cap realities of Watson’s contract and ownership. But it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t.
New York Jets
Given that there’s a chance of a total sweep out of the organization next offseason — especially if the Jets crater from here — it’s hard to see any more trade deadline buying taking place. This is more of a franchise that I would point toward an offseason acquisition of Young rather than in-season. They have no plan at quarterback aside from Rodgers. That needs to change regardless of how this season ends.
Seattle Seahawks
Geno Smith has one more year left on his deal. I don’t think Seattle will be inclined to do an extension with him unless it can get favorable salary terms — and even then, they may 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 invoke 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 corner will be turned, then he will have games that make it seem like there is no corner in existence — just an endless straight road of frustration that doesn’t appear to have a beginning or ending. 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 is certainly beaten up in that respect given the Giants’ struggles, but so is Young’s. I think it’s a pair that could help save each other’s careers.
For now, that’s a snapshot of Young’s market. If he lasts beyond Tuesday’s trade deadline — which still seems like the most likely scenario — that grouping could shrink or expand. It could also become a trade conversation that ends with little more than wasted breath if Young can take the past two weeks and continue to grow back into the starting job. Of course, to do that, Young has to know if he’s even starting in Week 10. And for now, it doesn’t appear the Panthers’ staff is willing to make that commitment.