Panthers latest head-scratching contract is more evidence that Bryce Young is screwed

For the first time in his 20 NFL starts, Bryce Young got to line up in victory formation during the Carolina Panthers Week 9 win against the New Orleans Saints. Young had entered the game with a 2-17 record as a starter. Both of those wins came in 2023 with last-second field goals. The fact that it took this long for Young to line up in victory formation shows just how poorly his career has begun.

A large majority of Young's struggles, of course, fall on his shoulders. There's no excuse for a No. 1 overall pick to struggle as much as Young has so far, especially when the Panthers offense has been as good, if not better, with Andy Dalton under center. Nothing Young has shown suggests that he'd play well with more around him. With that being said, though, it's not as if the Panthers are giving Young the best opportunity to succeed.

We see what the Chicago Bears have given Caleb Williams. We see what the C.J. Stroud has with the Houston Texans. The Panthers roster just doesn't compare. Carolina's latest move, extending Chuba Hubbard, shows that they just aren't going to give Young much of a chance to succeed.

Chuba Hubbard extension is more evidence that the Panthers have no idea what they're doing

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, it's a four-year extension worth $33.2 million for Hubbard to remain with the Panthers. $15 million of that is set to be guaranteed.

On the surface, that deal isn't bad. In fact, with only $15 million guaranteed, an argument absolutely can be made that the Panthers got a solid deal. In nine games this season, the 25-year-old has rushed for 665 yards on 133 attempts with five touchdowns on the ground. He has averaged 5.0 yards per carry, which is ahead of players like Josh Jacobs, Jonathan Taylor, and Bijan Robinson. He has been the focal point of a struggling offense. From that standpoint, it's good that the Panthers locked him in.

With that being said, though, what are the Panthers doing? The Panthers inked Miles Sanders to a four-year deal just last offseason in what has proven to be a major whiff. Additionally, they just drafted Jonathon Brooks in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. They didn't just draft him with an early pick, they traded up to get him.

Brooks had been recovering from an ACL injury and hadn't seen the field prior to this extension. He's expected to play for the Panthers for the first time in their Week 10 game against the New York Giants, but now his opportunity to show much is limited behind the newly extended Hubbard. What's the plan long-term now? They're going to share the backfield? They're going to just trade Brooks?

The Panthers have invested a ton in their backfield with Hubbard, Sanders, and Brooks, and yet their WR1 entering this season was Diontae Johnson. They traded that weapon - someone who can help Bryce Young develop - for a mere fifth-round pick (while giving up a sixth-round pick of their own). With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, their new WR1 is Xavier Legette - a steep drop-off. The Panthers rank 30th in the NFL in passing yards per game and dead last in the NFL in points against per game, but they continue to invest in their backfield as if that's their biggest issue.

Keeping Hubbard around is a good thing. The split backfield with Brooks can work. Carolina ignoring the team's needs doesn't bode well for Young, though.