Panthers sign No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young to $37.9M deal - ESPN

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, signed a four-year contract worth $37.9 million on Friday, allowing him to begin training camp on schedule.

The deal is fully guaranteed, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Rookies are scheduled to report to training camp on Saturday, with the Panthers' first practice taking place Wednesday.

Young, already elevated to the No. 1 quarterback spot on the depth chart, won the Heisman Trophy at Alabama in 2021 and set a school record of five games with at least five touchdown passes.

General manager Scott Fitterer traded the Panthers' top wide receiver, DJ Moore, plus the Nos. 9 and 61 picks in the 2023 draft and a first-rounder in 2024 to the Chicago Bears to get in position to select Young.

Fitterer and head coach Frank Reich determined Young had earned the starting job in June, and adjusted the depth chart accordingly with Andy Dalton as the backup.

«For me, it's about earning it,» Young said last month. «I'm grateful to have the opportunity that I have. I still think it's a process. I'm grateful to be accepted by the team. It's an amazing locker room, a great group of guys. I want to continue with that. It's not something you're just entitled to.»