Panthers Table Contract Talks with Brian Burns
The Carolina Panthers informed star pass rusher Brian Burns that they will not continue contract talks at this time, according to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports.
This likely means the Panthers are content with the idea of utilizing the franchise tag on Burns, knowing they aren't close to a deal with less than 48 hours to get something done ahead of franchise tag deadline. Using the tag does not, however, imply that Burns will be in a Panther uniform in 2024. If they can find a trade partner, they can tag-and-trade the 25-year-old.
"We love Brian," Panthers GM Dan Morgan stated earlier in the week at the NFL Combine. "Brian's a Panther. Somebody that I know and that I'm close to. I played with his brother. I definitely love Brian, but all options are on the table for him."
The former first-round pick has been in negotiations on a new long-term deal for well over a year and according to Joe Person of The Athletic, the two sides were separated by a few million bucks back at the start of the 2023 season.
"When Burns ended a two-day “hold in” before Week 1 last year, The Athletic reported he was seeking a deal with an annual average value of about $30 million. The Panthers were willing to go as high as five years at $27 million a year, according to a league source with knowledge of the contract talks."
According to Spotrac, the projected market value is well beneath both figures at $21.7M as the average annual salary. Their full projection is five years for $108,745,635. If/when a new contract is agreed to, I believe we'll see it push $30M AAV.
