Five-year veteran pass rusher Brian Burns will not hit free agency, as the Panthers used the franchise tag to keep him around for another season. Burns, a former first-round pick and two-time Pro Bowler, spent the entirety of his career with the Carolina Panthers.
With a $24 million tag. https://t.co/IgHblAM89t
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 5, 2024
Panthers Use Franchise Tag On Brian Burns
Brian Burns spent the final year of his contract on a terrible Carolina Panthers team, but the first-round pick still found a way to be productive. Starting and appearing in 16 games, the edge rusher finished the campaign with eight sacks, 50 tackles, 16 tackles-for-loss, and 18 quarterback hits. Despite his efforts, the Panthers finished with the worst record in the league.
Burns originally entered the league as a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Selected by the Carolina Panthers, the Florida State product began his career as an effective situational pass rusher. Appearing in all 16 games while making five starts, the rookie finished his inaugural campaign with 7.5 sacks, 25 tackles, five tackles-for-loss, 16 quarterback hits, and one forced fumble.
The edge rusher built on this success and established himself as a reliable starter in Year 2. Appearing in 15 games, Burns finished the COVID-19 season with nine sacks, 58 tackles, eight tackles-for-loss, and 21 quarterback hits while putting himself on the map as one of the better pass rushers in the game.
Brian Burns continued to improve with more playing time. Appearing in 17 games in 2021, the former first-round pick recorded nine sacks, 50 tackles, 13 tackles-for-loss, and 18 quarterback hits. While he posted similar numbers to his previous season, he finally earned his first Pro Bowl selection following his third year in the league.
Burns followed this up with the best season of his career. Starting and appearing in 16 games, Burns set career-high marks in sacks (12.5), tackles (63), tackles-for-loss (17), and quarterback hits (22).
Since signing his rookie contract, Brian Burns has appeared in 80 games while making 67 starts. While on the field, the former first-round pick has recorded 46 sacks, 246 tackles, and 95 quarterback hits.
Main Photo: Jim Dedmon – USA Today Sports
