It turns out the Carolina Panthers and star outside linebacker Brian Burns aren't the happiest with each other. 

The two sides were working toward a contract negotiation throughout the season. However, it never worked out. Burns played out the final year of his rookie contract, and now he is set to be a free agent. 

But a recent report from ESPN's David Newton shows that Burns and the Panthers never got close to a contract extension. 

Burns was reportedly seeking a contract with an average salary of $30 million throughout the 2023 season. The Panthers weren't feeling it. 

"The two sides never got close," Newton wrote. "With Carolina expected to have about $39 million in cap space, it seems unlikely it will dedicate that [$30 million] much now to one player since they have so many other needs."

But Burns is still expecting a premium payout from the Panthers or the next highest bidder. 

"I feel like I earned that before this season,'' Burns said of the right to be paid among the top rushers to Newton. "Given our circumstances, it is what it is. But my feeling never changed from that point to now because I put the work in for years prior to this.''

By all accounts, the 2023 season was a down year for Burns. He tallied his second-lowest sack total of his career (8) and his second-lowest total tackles (50). 

Still, he remains a prime franchise tag option for the Panthers if an agreement on a long-term extension remains as far off as Newton reported. 

A to Z Sports' Josh Queipo and Kyle Dediminicantanio believe it is extremely likely that Burns will be franchise-tagged before the end of free agency in the 2024 offseason.

But that doesn't mean he will play for the Panthers come the fall. 

Burns could also be tagged and traded to a team like the Los Angeles Rams, which has had a long affinity with the Panthers' Pro Bowl-caliber rusher. 

The jury is still out on whether Burns will be a member of the Panthers at the start of the 2024 season. But all signs point to an ugly divorce after five years of production from the former first-round pick. 

"The only thing I can do is control what I can control,'' he said. "All I can do is train and be prepared to either come back and have a great year, or go somewhere else.''

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Brian Burns is still looking for a new contract.

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Brian Burns is set to hit free agency after the Carolina Panthers failed to ink a long-term extension for the outside linebacker during the season.