The Carolina Panthers believed Bryce Young would be the answer to all their problems when they drafted him first overall in 2023. But three seasons and 46 games later, not everyone shares that confidence in Young. Former Denver Broncos guard and 3x Super Bowl champ Mark Schlereth doesn’t believe that Young is a franchise quarterback and also shared why he doesn’t see the 24-year-old as a perfect fit for the franchise’s long-term future.

“Is he going into his fifth year?” Schlereth questioned on The Stinkin’ Truth Podcast. “And they haven’t signed him to a long-term deal. So, they can sit there and tell me all day long that we found our franchise quarterback, that this is our guy. The fact that I have not seen him sign a contract or even heard any rumblings about working on a new deal. What does that tell me, or what does that tell you?  Listen, man. Bryce couldn’t be a nicer kid. And they’ve had some success. He is so small, and I just cannot believe that he is your long-term answer at quarterback. I do not believe that he is a franchise quarterback. I do not believe that he’s going to become a franchise quarterback.”

Earlier this year, the Carolina Panthers exercised the fifth-year option on Bryce Young’s rookie contract, locking him in through the 2027 season. But the conversations that followed this decision have been against the NFC South team. The primary concern regarding Young is his physical frame. At 5-foot-10 and 204 pounds, the 24-year-old signal-caller has a smaller frame. Hence, the physical toll of absorbing hits from NFL defensive linemen creates persistent concerns about his long-term injury resilience.

In the league, the average height and weight of a starting quarterback is around 6-foot-2 ½ and 219 pounds. Considering that, Schlereth is quite skeptical about the Panthers making Bryce Young their long-term offensive leader.

Additionally, the 24-year-old QB’s stint with Carolina has been a mix of highs and lows. Comparing Bryce Young’s NFL journey to his collegiate career, there is a huge gap that exists in Young’s average performance in the league. In 46 regular-season games played, Bryce Young has posted  8,291 passing yards and 49 touchdowns.

Meanwhile, for the Alabama Crimson Tide, Young racked up 8,356 passing yards and 80 TDs in just 34 games. However, many players like Russell Wilson, with similar features like him, went on to become standouts in the league.

Standing at around 5 feet 11 inches and between 206-215 pounds, Russell Wilson spent 14 seasons in the NFL playing for the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the New York Giants. As the franchise quarterback for Seattle, he led the franchise to two consecutive Super Bowl appearances and a Super Bowl XLVIII victory.

Yet, Schlereth appeared quite assertive with his assessment, noting that he does not see Young “becoming a franchise quarterback.”

However, Panthers’ general manager, Dan Morgan, is seemingly open about the possibility of keeping Young long term. “In terms of a long-term contract, that’s something that we’re talking about here internally, and we’ll do it at the right time.”