‘I need to be here’: Brian Burns on why he’s at Panthers training camp during contract talks
Brian Burns did not let ongoing conversations about his future with the Carolina Panthers interfere with the beginning of training camp — and that was never a possibility, he said.
“I was going to show up,” the Panthers’ star pass-rusher told reporters on Wednesday, the first official day of training camp activities at Wofford College in Spartanburg. “I would say, maybe, because I missed it. I missed being out here with my defense.”
Burns was Carolina’s only Pro Bowl selection last season after notching a career-best 59 tackles and 12.5 sacks, and he’s been among the Panthers’ best defensive players since his arrival in 2019.
Carolina picked up his fifth-year option on his rookie contract this offseason. But Burns and the team have also been hashing out other options regarding the 6-foot-5, 249-pound defensive end’s future with the organization.
Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer told reporters Tuesday that nailing down a deal with Burns and his representation involves “ongoing conversations,” and that they’ve been “good conversations,” and that “there’s no timeline” to making the deal.
High-profile players, at various times, have held out of NFL training camp amid contract conversations as a negotiation tactic.
And while Burns didn’t dismiss the notion entirely — saying that players who resort to that often do so for good reason — he maintained that he needed to be in Spartanburg. He showed up to Wofford and passed his physical and attended team meetings Tuesday before on-field work began Wednesday.
“I feel like what we got building is bigger than that,” Burns said. “I feel like I’m a key piece to what we need to get done, so I need to be here, whether or not I’m going through negotiations or whatever.”
His value was certainly felt Wednesday.
While fan attention tended to focus on rookie quarterback Bryce Young — who head coach Frank Reich confirmed as “QB1” without hesitation — there was plenty of focus on Burns. The pass-rusher’s charisma was in full bloom: He wore a visor that paid tribute to SpiderMan, his favorite superhero that he’s previously said he’s modeled his game after. And fans also got a chance to see him don No. 0 for the first time — his new number that represents a new him.
Some of the Panthers’ new coaching staff were in awe of seeing Burns up-close on Wednesday — of his leadership but also ... of just him.
“I can’t say enough of what it feels like (having Burns here),” Reich told reporters after the morning session. “(Assistant head coach) Duce Staley and I were standing out there, behind the offense, on our team drills, and then you see Brian Burns standing over the line of scrimmage.”
Reich then smiled: “And we were like, ‘Woah. Good thing we got (offensive lineman) Ickey (Ekwonu) out there.’ They’re both really good players.”
Reich’s regime, of course, represents something that is “new” in Burns’ successful stint in the NFL. The 25-year-old is embracing an updated, more fluid 3-4 scheme that he explained gives him more decision-making power on the field.
“I think it will just showcase my IQ, you know what I mean?” Burns said on the new defense, which will be led by defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. “I mean, physically, there is just so much more that you can do at my position. But I think it will showcase my IQ, really mapping out and understanding formations. I think I can make more plays in that type of role.
“Now I have a little more freedom to move about, over the slot, back, up, in and out. I just feel like being able to disguise the way I want to and try to make the most of my opportunity.”
Fitterer said Tuesday that the team “could never have enough” pass rushers because of the value at that position. Burns’ return helped that.
And his joy and leadership were on full display. When told that Tommy Tremble said that the tight end group aspired, in a word, to be “ruthless” this year — Burns was then asked how he’d describe his own pass-rushing corps.
He laughed: “Whatever’s a step above ruthless. That’s us.”
This story was originally published July 26, 2023 at 2:34 PM.
