Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer was short and sweet in his response when asked about Brian Burns’ fifth-year option a few weeks back. “Uh, yeah,” he said when asked if the team would trigger that 2023 contract season.
But how sweet of a deal will Burns ultimately end up getting? According to NFL.com contributing columnist Adam Schein, it should be a pretty nice one and it should come as soon as possible.
Schein pieced together a list of nine soon-to-be free agents, all of whom he believes must be shown the bag immediately. Burns—who is fresh off his first career Pro Bowl campaign—wrapped up the group of studs at No. 9.
“Carolina has struggled to earn national relevance in recent years, so non-Panthers fans will be forgiven if they’re not privy to Mr. Burns’ work,” he writes. “Since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2019, though, he has quickly established himself as one of the game’s most talented young pass rushers, thanks largely to his blazing speed off the edge. His sack totals in Years 1 through 3: 7.5, 9 and 9. Fresh off his first Pro Bowl bid and about to turn 24, Burns seems destined for a legit breakout season where jumps well into the double-digits in sacks. If/when that happens, the price tag JUMPS.
“Carolina’s defense became solid last year. Keeping Burns around is vital to the Panthers’ long-term success.”
Unsurprisingly, that echoed the sentiments of Fitterer—who gave us a little more than just that aforementioned “Uh, yeah,” on March 25.
“There’s always more on the table,” Fitterer said of additional contract extensions. “But Brian would be one of those priorities moving forward. He’s a guy that’s come out and produced for us. I really like the kinda leader he’s becoming, the man he is. So he’d be one of those guys we’d definitely try to work on.”
The Panthers have already taken care of two of their own this offseason. Wide receiver DJ Moore and cornerback Donte Jackson—the team’s first two picks of the 2018 draft—inked multi-year pacts to keep them in Charlotte.
Is Burns, a growing star at a premium position, next?
