Panthers Placing Franchise Tag On OLB Brian Burns

Jordan Schultz reports the Panthers are placing the franchise tag on OLB Brian Burns.

The franchise tag for Burns will be $24 million fully guaranteed for the 2024 season. It will give the two sides until mid-July to work out a long-term deal, otherwise they have to play out the season. 

This was the expected outcome after the Panthers informed Burns they were cutting off contract talks at the Combine.

The two sides have been unable to bridge a significant financial gap since two years ago when the Panthers turned down two first-round picks from the Rams for Burns at the trade deadline. Reports indicate Burns was looking for $30 million a year from Carolina on a long-term deal. 

The Packers and Bears signed Rashan Gary and Montez Sweat to extensions worth around $24 million per year this past season, which is probably a number the Panthers would be more comfortable with for Burns. 

Burns, 25, was drafted by the Panthers No. 16 overall in the first round out of Florida State in 2019. He played out the fourth year of a four-year, $13,540,186 rookie contract that included a $7,867,408 signing bonus.

The Panthers exercised the fifth-year option for Burns for the 2023 season which cost them $16.012 million fully guaranteed. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent in 2023. 

In 2023, Burns appeared in 16 games for the Panthers and recorded 50 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, eight sacks, one forced fumble, one recovery, and two pass deflections.

We had him included in our Top 100 – 2024 NFL Free Agents list.