QB options for the 2026 season

[kungfoodude]

7 minutes ago, PanthersNCSU said:

Bryce's option is 100% being picked up. I'd be floored if it wasn't. He's going to make more sense than 95% of the free agents, but it's just the option. Doesn't prevent us from going after somebody, drafting somebody, etc. 

Best case you draft a guy who shows promise, Bryce is on his option and plays well, and then we're in a Vikings style scenario with Darnold/McCarthy. Hopefully the early returns for us end up being better than the Vikings. 

The issue with that option is that it's going to be pretty pricey. $26.5ish mil is a tough pill to swallow for a non-starter.

9 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Gotta sign a decent FA and add another one in the draft. Don't force anything but if the right guy is there in the 1st don't hesitate. Bryce ain't it.

Doesn't have to be in the 1st either. I think this class will be pretty deep with #2 QB's.

[kungfoodude]

2 minutes ago, mrcompletely11 said:

picking up the option commits us to bryce for 2 more years at roughly 12 and 37ish million per.   So so much for the rookie contract being in our favor

https://overthecap.com/player/bryce-young/10825

You are misreading that table. The $12 mil is happening no matter what. That is fully guaranteed. $37 mil is the value of his total rookie contract without the option. The option would be $26.5 mil at the moment, but that number would likely rise.

Currently:

https://overthecap.com/fifth-year-option-projections

[PanthersNCSU]

Bryce is a starting QB, even if he's the 30th best one.  Short of getting Daniel Jones in here, or trading for a QB, he's our starter until we draft another one. 

Not saying it's the right decision and I'm not a fan, but a one year commitment with the option...they're not going to blink at that IMO. If they start talking extension with him, we riot. 

[kungfoodude]

2 minutes ago, PanthersNCSU said:

Bryce is a starting QB, even if he's the 30th best one.  Short of getting Daniel Jones in here, or trading for a QB, he's our starter until we draft another one. 

Not saying it's the right decision and I'm not a fan, but a one year commitment with the option...they're not going to blink at that IMO. If they start talking extension with him, we riot. 

I mean, I don't really think he is a starting QB. We are starting him at QB. Anthony Richardson was technically a starting QB. Justin Fields is technically a starting QB. The one common trait they share is that none of them are actually starting QB caliber.

[Khaki Lackey]

I say bring Lance in. We have an OL, decent weapons and, by god, a QB whisperer as a HC. (obviously joking about that last part) Plus, we're statistically due to have a reclamation project work.

[PleaseCutStewart]

50 minutes ago, PanthersNCSU said:

Bryce's option is 100% being picked up. I'd be floored if it wasn't. He's going to make more sense than 95% of the free agents, but it's just the option. Doesn't prevent us from going after somebody, drafting somebody, etc. 

Best case you draft a guy who shows promise, Bryce is on his option and plays well, and then we're in a Vikings style scenario with Darnold/McCarthy. Hopefully the early returns for us end up being better than the Vikings. 

This right here. Might as well pick it up, even if Bryce isn't the long term QB. We aren't paying Daniel Jones the crazy contract he will earn after this year and the rest of the QBs just aren't very good.

Sadly, this draft class of QBs has looked really bad in college this year and I am struggling to find one worth drafting high. Maybe Nussmeier because he has all the arm strength/accuracy qualities you want in an NFL QB (worried about how awful he is at staring down his 1st read and not being able to read coverages, but that can theoretically be fixed).

Haven't looked into the 2027 QB draft class, but maybe signing Mariota to be backup for a year (or 2) behind Bryce wouldn't be the worst. I have watched a bit of Mariota this year and don't think he looked that bad against the Cowboys & Chiefs.

[LinvilleGorge]

55 minutes ago, kungfoodude said:

The issue with that option is that it's going to be pretty pricey. $26.5ish mil is a tough pill to swallow for a non-starter.

Doesn't have to be in the 1st either. I think this class will be pretty deep with #2 QB's.

Yeah, I don't want to force anything. Forget going into the draft with the plan to definitely draft a QB in the first. You don't do yourself any favors reaching on need. If the right fit isn't there I'm perfectly fine with adding a developmental guy after the first. We need multiple QBs. We need a starter and we need a backup. There's just not gonna be any energy in this fanbase as long as we keep trotting Bryce out there pretending that he's a starting QB. There will start to be hope again as soon as it's clear that we're turning the page on the whole Bryce thing.

[kungfoodude]

46 minutes ago, Khaki Lackey said:

I say bring Lance in. We have an OL, decent weapons and, by god, a QB whisperer as a HC. (obviously joking about that last part) Plus, we're statistically due to have a reclamation project work.

We had that, sort of. Jake Delhomme. 

We had a shot at a real franchise QB that wasn't even a reclaimation project. We ended up making him play DE on the scout team.

[kungfoodude]

22 minutes ago, PleaseCutStewart said:

This right here. Might as well pick it up, even if Bryce isn't the long term QB. We aren't paying Daniel Jones the crazy contract he will earn after this year and the rest of the QBs just aren't very good.

Sadly, this draft class of QBs has looked really bad in college this year and I am struggling to find one worth drafting high. Maybe Nussmeier because he has all the arm strength/accuracy qualities you want in an NFL QB (worried about how awful he is at staring down his 1st read and not being able to read coverages, but that can theoretically be fixed).

Haven't looked into the 2027 QB draft class, but maybe signing Mariota to be backup for a year (or 2) behind Bryce wouldn't be the worst. I have watched a bit of Mariota this year and don't think he looked that bad against the Cowboys & Chiefs.

If you have been in college as long as Nussmeier and you are a one read QB, you are not an NFL QB. That's a 6th/7th rounder even with the size/arm.

[kungfoodude]

10 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Yeah, I don't want to force anything. Forget going into the draft with the plan to definitely draft a QB in the first. You don't do yourself any favors reaching on need. If the right fit isn't there I'm perfectly fine with adding a developmental guy after the first. We need multiple QBs. We need a starter and we need a backup. There's just not gonna be any energy in this fanbase as long as we keep trotting Bryce out there pretending that he's a starting QB. There will start to be hope again as soon as it's clear that we're turning the page on the whole Bryce thing.

Yeah, I am fine with rostering 3 QB's. A older vet/gamble on a younger, "distressed asset" vet and a drafted QB. 

At least there are some options to roll through when Bryce is just Bryce again.

[LinvilleGorge]

17 minutes ago, kungfoodude said:

Yeah, I am fine with rostering 3 QB's. A older vet/gamble on a younger, "distressed asset" vet and a drafted QB. 

At least there are some options to roll through when Bryce is just Bryce again.

This. When Bryce falters again we have to have legit options behind him, not just the washed up ghost of Andy Dalton.

[PleaseCutStewart]

18 minutes ago, kungfoodude said:

If you have been in college as long as Nussmeier and you are a one read QB, you are not an NFL QB. That's a 6th/7th rounder even with the size/arm.

Fair enough. He did have to sit behind Daniels for a while and I think the playcalling has been just awful for LSU this year and hasn't helped him.

But having a high level arm will get you drafted in the 1st or 2nd round, no matter what your processing level is. NFL teams will always think they can fix those types of QBs

[Tr3ach]

2 hours ago, kungfoodude said:

Mac Jones is under contract.

These are the QB's that will be free agents(not including any potential cuts).

Of those guys, I would say Sam Howell in a heartbeat.   There is no chance Daniel Jones leaves the colts

[CRA]

1 hour ago, PanthersNCSU said:

Bryce's option is 100% being picked up. I'd be floored if it wasn't. He's going to make more sense than 95% of the free agents, but it's just the option. Doesn't prevent us from going after somebody, drafting somebody, etc. 

Best case you draft a guy who shows promise, Bryce is on his option and plays well, and then we're in a Vikings style scenario with Darnold/McCarthy. Hopefully the early returns for us end up being better than the Vikings. 

Name a QB as bad as Bryce who had their 5th picked up? 

You certainly can name better ones who didn't have it picked up.