So, how close did the Carolina Panthers and outside linebacker Brian Burns get in last year’s contract negotiations? Well, according to ESPN’s David Newton, not very.
Newton dove into the team’s free agency outlook with a new post on Tuesday morning. Leading their group of soon-to-be free agents is Burns, who was reportedly looking for around $30 million per year.
He writes:
Burns was seeking a long-term deal with an average salary of close to $30 million last season, according to a source with knowledge of the negotiations. The two sides never got close. With Carolina expected to have about $39 million in cap space, it seems unlikely it will dedicate that much now to one player since they have so many other needs.
As of now, there is only one edge defender in the NFL currently receiving at least $30 million per season—and that’s San Francisco’s Nick Bosa ($34 million). He’s followed by Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt ($28 million), Los Angeles’ Joey Bosa ($27 million) and Cleveland’s Myles Garrett ($25 million).
With the exception of Nick’s big brother, each of those big-money pass rushers has an AP Defensive Player of the Year award to their name. In fact, they’re the last three—with Watt winning in 2021, Bosa in 2022 and Garrett in 2023.
Burns, obviously, has yet to reel in the honor. The 2019 first-round pick was named a Pro bowl starter in 2021 and 2022 as well as an alternate for this year’s all-star festivities.
If Burns and the Panthers cannot come to an agreement once again, the team can apply the franchise tag to the 25-year-old defender. Per Over The Cap, the tag on linebackers is worth almost $23 million for the 2024 campaign.
