The Carolina Panthers have worked hard to get out of the QB basement in the NFL. For several years after Cam Newton, it was bleak. Bryce Young represented some hope, but it was quickly clear that he alone couldn't drag them from the depths.

For the most part, they avoid those "worst QB situation" lists these days. Young has improved enough to get above that. Well, that might not quite be the case, at least according to one NFL insider who ranked the Panthers 10th on his list of the worst QB rooms in the NFL.

Why the Panthers still have a pretty bleak QB room

Is Bryce Young a franchise quarterback? Is he headed to another team to try to restart his career in the next year or two? We believe it's the former more than the latter, but both are still valid questions.

According to The Athletic's Saad Yousuf, the inability to answer that question solidly is why the Panthers have a bottom-10 (10th, to be fair) QB room right now.

"Young is one of the more frustrating quarterbacks in the NFL. He’ll put forth enough bad performances to show that he’s not the answer the franchise thought he would be when they traded up to draft him No. 1," Yousuf began.

He continued, "However, just when you start cementing that opinion, he’ll have a game or two that pulls you back in. This season should go a long way toward giving the Panthers some clarity on if Young deserves a second contract."

Obviously, we're high on Bryce Young. At least, higher than some Panthers fans might be and higher than other NFL outlets would be. But we'd be foolish not to think that what Yousuf has laid out is untrue.

Young does have plenty of bad games on his record, but every time it looks like he's on his way out, he locks back in and showcases that he absolutely can be a franchise quarterback.

Yousuf also added, "Pickett is a comfortable backup for Carolina, in that he could be serviceable in the short term, but his presence also won’t make Young, who has already gone through an unceremonious benching, nervous about his job."

How can the Panthers finally get out of QB mediocrity? There are a few ways. First, Young can make another leap, and a small one seems plausible given his career trajectory.

Second, they can spend next offseason really giving Young the weapons (a legitimate tight end, a great running back, or another strong wide receiver) to succeed.

And finally, they can pivot and start over with someone else in the NFL Draft, which is an unfortunate potential outcome.