For the first time in his 20 NFL starts, Bryce Young lined up in victory formation during the carolina panthers Week 9 victory against the New Orleans Saints. Young had entered the game with a 2-17 record as a starter. Both wins came in 2023 on last-second field goals. The fact that it took Young so long to line up in victory formation shows how poorly his career has started.

A vast 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 just as good, if not better, with Andy Dalton under center. Nothing Young has shown suggests he would play well with more people around him. That said, though, it’s not like the Panthers are giving Young the best opportunity to succeed.

We see what the Chicago Bears have given 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 aren’t going to 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 remain with the Panthers. Of that amount, $15 million will be guaranteed.

At first glance, that deal isn’t bad. In fact, with only $15 million guaranteed, you can absolutely argue that the Panthers got a solid deal. In nine games this season, the 25-year-old rushed for 665 yards on 133 attempts with five rushing touchdowns. 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 a good thing the Panthers locked him up.

That being said, what are the Panthers doing? The Panthers signed Miles Sanders to a four-year contract just last offseason in what has proven to be a big deal. Additionally, they just selected Jonathon Brooks in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. They didn’t just select him with an early pick, they traded to get it.

Brooks had been recovering from an ACL injury and had not seen the field before this extension. He is 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 expanded Hubbard. What is the long-term plan now? Are they going to share the backfield? Are they just going to trade Brooks?

The Panthers have invested heavily 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 simple 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. The Panthers rank 30th in the NFL in passing yards per game and last in the NFL in points against per game, but they continue to invest in their backfield as if that is their biggest problem.

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