Frank Reich shares update on Brian Burns’ status amid contract dispute

After defensive end Brian Burns sat out of the Carolina Panthers‘ walkthrough for Week 1 on Monday, head coach Frank Reich told reporters he’s “not worried.” Burns is continuing his campaign for better compensation, even as kickoff for the first game versus the Falcons ticks closer and closer.

“Do I hope he’s there vs. Atlanta? Absolutely,” Reich said Monday. “But if he’s not there, I’m not worried about it. Just move forward.”

”We understand there’s a business side to this thing we do and I still respect and admire the way he handles himself,” the coach added.

Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson talked to reporters about Burns’ situation on Monday as well. He believes his teammate will practice by Wednesday. He also wants to believe the front office knows the defenders’ worth.

“We know he’s gonna be out there at the end of the day,” Thompson said. “He knows he’s gonna be out there at the end of the day. And everybody upstairs better know he’s gonna be out there by Wednesday.”

The Panthers play in Atlanta at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. Although most players who held out this summer for big deals have received their paydays, several others have not. Chiefs tackle Chris Jones is still among the holdouts, even as Kansas City prepares for a Thursday Night Football opener.

Burns couldn’t stay away

Unlike some other players this offseason, Brian Burns couldn’t completely stay away from the team during his contract dispute.

“Nah, I was going to show up,” Burns said last month. “I would say mainly just because I missed it… missed being with my defense. I kind of feel like what we’ve got going is bigger than, I don’t want to say like it’s bigger than my individual goals, because those matter of course, but I feel like what we’ve got building is bigger than that.

“… I’m a key piece to what we need to get done, so I feel like I need to be here, whether or not I’m going through negotiations or whatever. But nah, it didn’t cross my mind to sit out.”

Burns has displayed a supremely “team-first” mentality. The franchise originally selected Burns with the No. 16 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Florida State. He’s been everything they could have asked for ever since.

He ranks 11th in the league with 38 sacks since coming into the NFL. Additionally, Burns is coming off the best season of his career in 2022, finishing with career highs in tackles (63), tackles for loss (17), quarterback hits (22) and sacks (12.5). For his performance, he earned his second straight Pro Bowl nomination.

On3’s Nick Geddes contributed to this report.