Panthers pass rusher Brian Burns headed for tag

Panthers pass rusher Brian Burns and Carolina are no closer to a long-term contract agreement, signaling the franchise tag is imminent ahead of Tuesday's deadline.

Teams can apply franchise and transition tags to restrict pending free agents from hitting the open market without refusal rights.

Multiple outlets reported the two sides are no closer to a contract with the NFL deadline for applying tags set for Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.

Burns has 46 career sacks, including 8.0 last season, but reportedly requested a contract starting point of $30 million per season.

First-year Panthers general manager Dan Morgan walked into a hornet's nest with Burns and his agent, who had an acrimonious relationship with the previous regime. Burns considered a "hold-in" last summer, whereby he would sit out training camp workouts but report to the team in hopes of coaxing a deal out of then-GM Scott Fitterer.

Morgan, who was Fitterer's right-hand man and a business ally dating to their time in the Seattle Seahawks' scouting department, said at the NFL Scouting Combine last week that he was leaving all options open with Burns.

"We would definitely use it if we had to use it," Morgan said of the franchise tag option. "We love Brian. Brian's a Panther. Somebody that I know, that I'm close to. I played with his brother. So, definitely love Brian. But all options are on the table."

Burns, 25, would be locked in at $24 million as a minimum salary for next season. He would be permitted to negotiate with other teams, unless the Panthers used the "exclusive" franchise tag to limit his options.

In the event another team makes an offer to Burns, Carolina could choose to match that offer or receive multiple first-round picks in return.

Carolina doesn't have a pick in the first round of the draft despite a 2-15 record. The Panthers owed the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft to the Chicago Bears as payment for a trade last March 10 to acquire the top pick in the 2023 draft used to select Bryce Young.

—Field Level Media