With no long-term deal in sight, the Panthers will move forward with the expected decision on Brian Burns. The Pro Bowl edge rusher has been told he will receive the franchise tag, per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report. The team has since announced the move. 
Burns has long been an obvious candidate for the tag, which will pay out $24MM guaranteed. That figure will eat into much of Carolina’s available cap space if he plays out the 2024 season on the tender, but questions about his future with the organization have persisted for some time now.
Contract talks have been on and off between the Panthers and the 25-year-old. Burns played on his $16MM fifth-year option in 2023, and the lack of a long-term pact kept him in trade talks. Carolina once again elected to keep him in the fold, but the passing of the deadline did not spur a new round of negotiations. With the parties still not on the verge of an agreement, talks were put on hold during last week’s Combine.
For that reason, many have pointed to a tag-and-trade being on the table as the Panthers look to avoid Burns departing in free agency in 2025. The Rams made an offer including two first-round picks in 2022, and teams have remained highly interested in the Florida State alum. Washington was among the suitors in the build-up to this year’s trade deadline, and those still in a favorable cap situation will no doubt show at least a degree of interest. With Burns requiring a lucrative pact upon arrival, however, it would come as a surprise if Carolina was able to secure a better draft haul than the previous Rams offer.
Seeing as the non-exclusive tag has been used, Burns will be eligible to negotiate a contract with outside suitors. An agreement which goes unmatched from the Panthers will result in two first-round picks as compensation, though a trade would allow an acquiring team to pay out a different price to Carolina. Burns and the Panthers will be able to negotiate a long-term deal as late as July 15 if no trade takes place.
Given where things stand on that front, though, considerable progress would need to be made for an agreement keeping him in Charlotte beyond 2024 to be hammered out. Burns has been connected to a higher asking price (roughly $30MM per season) than the team is willing to reach. Nick Bosa‘s historic 49ers extension carries an AAV of $34MM, which comfortably leads the pack. Carolina would likely add Burns to the list of eight edge rushers earning between $22MM and $28MM on their respective pacts if a multi-year deal were to come to fruition.
Burns posted double-digit sacks for the first time in his career in 2022, totaling 12.5. He followed that up with eight last season, bringing his career total to 46 in five years. Not known for his run defense, he will nevertheless be an attractive option for teams looking to make a pricey investment along the edge. The Panthers will need to weigh their options on the Burns front while also sorting out the futures of other key defenders such as Frankie Luvu and Derrick Brown.