The Tampa Bay Buccaneers relinquished their grip on the NFC South last season, as Bryce Young and the rival Carolina Panthers managed to sneak into the postseason in a way that gave this franchise some hope for the future.
The Panthers have eyes on taking the division away from Tampa Bay long-term, especially after both squads had an equally strong 2026 NFL Draft. However, Carolina might be ready to blunt all of their momentum by paying Young a contract far above what he merits.
Panthers GM Dan Morgan seems ready and willing to give Young a meaty long-term contract, which would eat into their roster building flexibility by giving a non-elite quarterback a major chunk of the available change they have.
"In terms of long-term contract, that's something that we're talking about here internally, and we'll do it at the right time," Morgan said. If the Panthers give Young any sort of long-term contract that even threatens to break the bank, the Bucs can look at a roster that will need to be stripped for parts and laugh at their misfortune.
Bucs fans should laugh at Panthers if they give Bryce Young long-term contract
Young, who was benched just a handful of games into his second season, barely eclipsed 3,000 yards passing in 16 starts. His 23 touchdown passes against 11 interceptions showed noticeable improvement, but an 87.8 passer rating standing out as the best such mark in his career is suboptimal.
Young, who has led the Panthers to a 14-30 record as the starter, is always going to have physical limitations that he needs to overcome. Even with a solid situation around him, Young has not shown he is the type of quarterback that can elevate a team, which is needed for a long-term deal.
The Bucs seem to be rope-a-doping the Panthers, hoping they can withstand this barrage while Young is on his rookie deal. Once he gets paid, many stalwart offensive linemen and role players on an improved defense will need to go by the wayside, and that is ideal in a wide-open NFC South.
Young has shown he can play in this league, but Bucs fans have seen that it is unlikey he lives up to that No. 1 pick billing. If he gets paid like a high-end quarterback, Tampa Bay may rejoice despite their recent missteps, as one of their chief rivals just tied an anchor to their legs of their own volition.
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