Well, it happened to the Carolina Panthers again. And the first guy it happened with had some thoughts on the second one.
The “it” we’re referring to, by the way, is the loss of an elite pass rusher in his prime. That first strike of lightning hit the Panthers back in 2010, when Julius Peppers left town for the Chicago Bears after a messy contract tango at home.
Lightning bolt No. 2 struck yesterday, when the team traded outside linebacker Brian Burns—who also didn’t get the new deal he wanted—to the New York Giants. Peppers would post his thoughts about the situation on Tuesday morning:
Young fella kept his mouth shut and let the chips fall. You can’t be mad at that.
— Pep (@juliuspeppers_) March 12, 2024
This isn’t the first time the franchise legend and soon-to-be Pro Football Hall of Famer threw in his two cents on the Burns saga. Peppers, in a recent interview with Kassidy Hill of Panthers.com, said he was hoping the organization could stick with the two-time Pro Bowler.
“I think he’s one of the best,” Peppers told Hill. “He has all the tools, he has all of the talent. I hope we’re able to keep him. I hope he stays. I hope we’d be able to keep him around for a long time.”
Unfortunately, they only kept him for another month.
