NFL Rumors: Brian Burns, Panthers 'Never Got Close' to Contract as LB Eyed $30M AAV

The Carolina Panthers and star edge-rusher Brian Burns "never got close" in previous contract negotiations, according to ESPN's David Newton.

Newton reported Burns was angling to get nearly $30 million annually during those discussions. That would put him near the top of the list of highest-paid edge defenders. The San Francisco 49ers' Nick Bosa leads the way at $34 million, and the Pittsburgh Steelers' T.J. Watt is next at $28 million.

"I feel like I earned that before this season,'' Burns said entering that group, per Newton. "Given our circumstances, it is what it is. But my feeling never changed from that point to now, because I put the work in for years prior to this."

The case with the two-time Pro Bowler is a little less straightforward, though.

Bosa was the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and led the NFL in sacks before signing his extension. Watt had 49.5 sacks and two All-Pro nods through his first four seasons before he penned his new deal. The Los Angeles Chargers' Joey Bosa and Cleveland Browns' Myles Garrett both reset the market in 2020 after having multiple seasons double-digit sacks.

Burns hasn't compiled the same kind of résumé so far.

The Los Angeles Rams once valued him so highly they were reportedly prepared to trade two first-round picks and a second-rounder to get him midway through the 2022 season. That might not reflect how others feel, though.

Age is certainly on Burns' side in terms of his impending free agency. It's not often that teams get the chance to sign an edge-rusher this good when he's only 25. Still, Spotrac valued him at $21.7 million per year, pointing to how his production hasn't matched that of the Bosas, Garrett and Watt before they signed.

This all could be a moot point anyway because Newton reported the Panthers applying the franchise tag to Burns "seems the most likely option." That's projected to pay out $22.8 million for a player at his position.

Burns might have to wait another year to get the big payday he's seeking.