Panthers have already lost with Brian Burns and free agency hasn't even started yet

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. But in Burns reaching free agency still wearing a Panthers uniform, the team already lost.  Failing to sign Burns to a long-term extension – while also not trading him when he […]

Ian Kayanja
Add as preferred source on Google
Dec 17, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker Brian Burns (0) in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Image via Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

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. 

But in Burns reaching free agency still wearing a Panthers uniform, the team already lost. 

Failing to sign Burns to a long-term extension – while also not trading him when he was at the peak of his value during the 2022 season is a mistake the Panthers may not be able to live down. 

There was a point Burns could have been traded to the Los Angeles Rams for their 2024 and 2025 first-round picks and a second-round pick. 

With the Panthers strapped for draft picks in the 2024 NFL Draft following the trade to land Bryce Young in 2023, that Burns trade could have been a difference-maker in Carolina's retooling. 

Instead, the Panthers felt Burns was an integral part of a roster that could win in 2023. That wasn't the case either, and Burns was incapable of being a game-wrecker as the season wore on due to injuries and schematic errors under Frank Reich and former interim head coach Chris Tabor. 

Burns recorded the fewest sacks of his career since his rookie season, with eight. His tackle total also dropped by 13 from 2022 to 2023. 

The writing is on the wall. Burns has been a good, but not great, player for the Panthers during his five-year career. If the Panthers are to franchise tag him or pay him the premium, it would hamstring the rebuild process.

Losing Burns for nothing hurts. But the Panthers already made that decision when they elected not to seriously negotiate during the season. Now, Carolina must avoid franchise-tagging a better-than-average pass rusher who hasn't helped lead the Panthers to a winning season during his tenure in Charlotte. 

However, if Dan Morgan and his new-look front office elect to re-sign Burns, it won't be a cheap endeavor. 

What is Brian Burns' contract value?  

Oct 29, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker Brian Burns (0) react after a sack in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium.
Oct 29, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker Brian Burns (0) reacts after a sack in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium.Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Despite the shortcomings of Burns' leadership and his play on the field, A to Z Sports' cap experts project he could be in the marketplace of a four-year, $90 million contract. 

That number looks far larger than expected. Still, the deal comes down to the expected market for a good pass rusher – who has the potential to be great. 

The likelihood of Burns getting franchise tagged, in A to Z Sports' projections, is listed as "high." 

The Panthers are making a mistake by holding onto Brian Burns

The Carolina Panthers are having a rough season right now. How rough? Besides being winless, the Panthers are struggling to get anything on their offense or defense going and they're staring down the barrel of being the NFL's first 17 loss team.  At least the team has their first round pick next year right? Oh […]

Related Articles