Despite being a lightning rod for trade rumors leading all the way up to Tuesday’s deadline, Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns has only been going about his business. And according to Burns himself, he wants to keep that business right where it is.
Will Kunkel of FOX Charlotte spoke with the fourth-year pass rusher following practice on Thursday, just a few days ahead of the team’s Week 9 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. Burns, who was not moved 48 hours ago amidst a flurry of reported interest, said his heart is in Carolina.
Brian Burns tells me he loves Charlotte and is confident in re-signing and wants to stay with the Panthers.
“It would break my heart to leave my defense.”
— Will Kunkel (@WillKunkelFOX) November 3, 2022
This topic is of particular note today, considering what happened further down south with a fellow edge defender in Bradley Chubb. After trading for the 2018 fifth overall pick, the Miami Dolphins inked Chubb to a massive five-year, $119 million extension early Thursday morning.
With Burns entering his fifth year in 2023, Chubb’s new pact will only help further set the table for future (and lucrative) negotiations with the Panthers. So between that, Carolina’s reluctance to trade the 24-year-old for two first-rounders and the productive 2022 campaign he’s currently working on—Burns must be seeing a lot of green in the black and blue.
