The Carolina Panthers may have cut off contract extension talks with Brian Burns, but that does not mean they will be losing him this offseason.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter joined “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday and discussed the issue of franchise tags.
On Sunday, a report had said that the Panthers cut off talks with Burns, which raised speculation that they might lose him in free agency. However, Schefter says Panthers fans should not immediately be worried.
Schefter says they will use the franchise tag on him. Several other Carolina Panthers said the same — they expect the Panthers to franchise tag Burns.
Burns was the No. 16 overall pick by the Panthers in 2019. The Florida State product has proven to be an excellent pass-rusher. He has 46 sacks in his NFL career, including 20.5 over the last two seasons.
Burns made $16 million last season under his fifth-year rookie contract option. The franchise tag for linebackers cost $24 million, which will represent a nice bump in pay for Burns.
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