Report reveals why Panthers turned down huge Brian Burns offer

The Carolina Panthers were very committed to keeping star pass rusher Brian Burns at the trade deadline, and they had an interesting reason for doing so.

Multiple reports have indicated that the Los Angeles Rams offered the Panthers their 2024 and 2025 first-round picks in exchange for Burns. The Rams also included a 2023 second-round pick as part of their final offer, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports.

It’s fair to say that a lot of people would have taken that haul for Burns, no matter how talented he is. According to Jones, the Panthers were concerned by the difficulty of replacing Burns.

"When you look at free agency and the draft, there's not a lot coming up, especially compared to the player Brian is," a Panthers source told Jones. "We didn't think we could replace Brian Burns."

Is that enough of a reason to reject such a massive haul of draft capital though? Few would pick the Panthers to be contenders next season, with or without Burns in the fold. In a certain sense, it feels like the work of a general manager who is not convinced that they will be given the time to see through a long-term rebuild. Panthers GM Scott Fitterer is only in his second season on the job, but owner David Tepper has already fired his coach this season despite an enormous buyout.

Burns has 30.5 sacks in his career so far and is in line for a new contract this offseason. One would figure the Panthers are ready to pay up if they’re willing to turn down an offer like that.