According to ESPN’s David Newton, the Carolina Panthers and top edge-rusher Brian Burns “never got close” during prior contract talks.
According to Newton, Burns was hoping to receive close to $30 million a year during those talks. That would place him in the upper echelon of edge defenders in terms of compensation. Nick Bosa of the San Francisco 49ers leads the way with $34 million, followed by T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers with $28 million.
As Burns entered that group, Newton reported, “I feel like I earned that before this season.” As things stand, it’s what they are. But even if I worked hard for years before then, my feelings remained the same.”
However, the situation with the two-time Pro Bowler is a little more complicated.
Before agreeing to an extension, Bosa led the NFL in sacks and was the current Defensive Player of the Year. Before signing his new contract, Watt had completed his first four seasons with 49.5 sacks and two All-Pro selections. Joey Bosa of the Los Angeles Chargers and Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns both reset the market in 2020 following several seasons with double-digit sacks.
Burns hasn’t yet assembled a resume of the same nature.
Midway through the 2022 season, the Los Angeles Rams apparently considered him to be worth so much that they were willing to trade two first-round picks and a second-round pick to acquire him. But it may not be how others are feeling.
When it comes to Burns’ upcoming free agency, age is unquestionably on his side. Teams don’t frequently get the chance to sign a 25-year-old edge rusher of this caliber. Despite this, Spotrac evaluated him at $21.7 million annually, noting that his output hasn’t kept up with that of Watt, Garrett, and the Bosas prior to their signings.
Given that Newton stated that the Panthers’ decision to franchise tag Burns “seems the most likely option,” all of this may be irrelevant anyhow. It is anticipated that a player at his position will receive $22.8 million from that.
