Virtually ever since Scott Fitterer became the general manager of the Carolina Panthers, one of the things he’s been adamant about is that Brian Burns is going to be in Carolina for the foreseeable future. Evidence of that, was the trade deadline last year, when the Rams offered Carolina, two first-round picks, along with a second, and Carolina declined the offer. The fifth-year pass rusher out of Florida State is getting ready for the 2023 season, and he’s awaiting a new contract after Carolina picked up his fifth-year option, which is set to pay him $16 million dollars. Last year Burns recorded 12.5 sacks and was named to his second Pro Bowl, as he’s proven in his young NFL career, that he can be a productive player, at the premium position on the defensive side of the football. With all of that in mind, how much should he get paid?
That exact question was the topic of discussion in the final hour of the Kyle Bailey Show earlier today on WFNZ. Bailey, who believes that Burns is the best player on the roster today, should be in demand of a lengthy contract, worth $25 million dollars a year. Burns’ production is on par with guys like Max Crosby and Bradley Chubb, players that have already received massive contracts, and while he’s not going to get Joey Bosa money, $25 million dollars annually would prove how much the Panthers value him. More importantly, the biggest reason why Bailey is an advocate of giving Burns a big contract is that your quarterback, (Bryce Young), is on a rookie deal, and that’s when you pay your other stars.
The thing that makes it easier to want Burns to get his money, is that despite not having a new contract, he has shown up to every off-season practice so far, and that’s rare in today’s NFL, where players hold out left and right. Burns has set a personal goal of recording at least 10 sacks, by Week 10 of the upcoming NFL season. If he were to achieve that, it would put him on pace to set break the franchise record of sacks in a season (15). And if that happens, it’ll be almost impossible to not pay the man.
Make sure to catch the Kyle Bailey Show every weekday from 3-6 PM on Sports Radio 92.7 WFNZ, and the WFNZ app.
