For the first time in 20 NFL starts, Bryce Young was able to line up in victory formation during the Carolina Panthers Week 9 win over the New Orleans Saints. Young 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 the victory lineup shows how poorly his career got off to a start.

Of course, the vast majority of Young’s struggles rest on his shoulders. There’s no excuse for a No. 1 overall pick to struggle as much as Young has thus far, especially when the Panthers’ offense has been just as good, if not better, with Andy Dalton at center. Nothing Young has shown suggests he would play well with more people around him. That being said, it’s not like the Panthers are giving Young the best opportunity to succeed.

We see what the Chicago Bears gave Caleb Williams. We see what CJ Stroud has with the Houston Texans. The Panthers roster just doesn’t compare. Carolina’s latest move, extending Chuba Hubbard, shows that they simply won’t give Young much of a chance to succeed.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, it’s a four-year extension worth $33.2 million for Hubbard to stay with the Panthers. Of this amount, $15 million should be guaranteed.

On the surface, this deal is not bad. In fact, with just $15 million guaranteed, it’s absolutely safe to say the Panthers got a solid deal. In nine games this season, the 25-year-old has totaled 665 yards on 133 attempts with five rushing touchdowns. He averaged 5.0 yards per carry, which is ahead of players like Josh Jacobs, Jonathan Taylor and Bijan Robinson. He was the focal point of a struggling offense. From that perspective, it’s good that the Panthers locked him up.

That being said, what do the Panthers do? The Panthers signed Miles Sanders to a four-year contract last offseason, which turned out to be a major move. Additionally, they just drafted Jonathon Brooks in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. They didn’t just draft him with a first pick, they traded to get it.

Brooks was recovering from an ACL injury and had not seen the field before this overtime. He is expected to play for the Panthers for the first time in their Week 10 matchup against the New York Giants, but now his chances of showing much are limited behind the newly extended Hubbard. What is the long term plan now? They will share the backfield? They’re just going to trade Brooks?

The Panthers invested heavily in their backfield with Hubbard, Sanders and Brooks, and yet their WR1 entering this season was Diontae Johnson. They traded this weapon – someone who can help Bryce Young develop – for a simple fifth round pick (while giving up their own sixth-round pick). 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 like it’s their biggest problem.

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