CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers placed the franchise tag on defensive star Brian Burns Tuesday, taking the first step to keeping him with the organization moving forward.
Burns is coming off an 8-sack season in 2023. This is the first time the Panthers have used the franchise tag since 2021, when they put it on Taylor Moton before he signed a long-term deal. Burns made $16 million in the final year of his rookie contract. He will be paid $24 million for the 2024 season.
Tuesday, March 5 was the deadline for NFL teams to place the franchise tag on impending free agents. There are two types of franchise tags: exclusive and non-exclusive, which is what Burns was tagged with. An exclusive franchise tag is used to prevent players from negotiating with other teams but those contracts are very expensive.
The non-exclusive tag means Burns can negotiate with other teams and sign an offer sheet. The Panthers will have the right to match that offer if they choose. If they don't, Carolina will receive two first-round picks as compensation. The average salary for a non-exclusive franchise tag is the average of the top five salaries at the player's position during the current year or 120% of the player's previous salary, whichever is higher. Burns' salary falls into the latter category, bumping him from $16 million to $24 million.
Carolina's front office and Burns have reportedly had contract talks break down over salary expectations, with Burns wanting a significant pay raise. It's unclear if long-term negotiations will continue at a later date or if the team will explore trade options. Burns sat out two practices last year before reporting for the team's opening game against the Falcons.
Burns' future with the team has been a talking point for nearly two years as the Panthers reportedly turned down a significant trade offer during the 2022 season, opting to keep Burns in the locker room as the foundation for the defense.
The only player with more sacks than Burns' 46 through their first five seasons was Hall of Famer Julius Peppers with 52.5. Burns has made it to the Pro Bowl twice and is one of just five players in the NFL to record at least 7 sacks each of the last five seasons.
Burns is one of several major edge rushers hitting free agency this spring, including Jacksonville's Josh Allen and Minnesota's Danielle Hunter.
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