Thanks to the fifth-year option, the Carolina Panthers still have a season and a half to decide what to do with starting quarterback Bryce Young. However, if they had to make the decision today—the right move would be to give him a lucrative long-term contract extension rather than letting him walk.

Overall, Young's trajectory is wildly better this year than it was over his first three campaigns in the NFL. These numbers from ESPN tell the story in black and white—Young is averaging nearly 100 more passing yards per game this year and has doubled his touchdown average, as well:

Quarterback Bryce Young is averaging 274.6 passing yards and two passing TDs per game. And he ranks top 10 in both categories entering Week 10. During his first three seasons, Young averaged 180.2 passing yards (21st during that span) and one TD (tied for 21st) per game.

This improvement would be impressive in any context. But in Young's case, it's particularly so given the fact that he's doing it despite getting some of the worst pass blocking in the league. The Panthers also have a relatively weak supporting cast of offensive skill players compared to other top-10 performers at quarterback, which is what Young is now.

The biggest difference, though, is Young himself—who's more confident, more decisive and more aggressive.