The Carolina Panthers have finally made a deal involving their All-Pro pass rusher Brian Burns. It quickly became a move the NFL world strongly disagreed with.
Burns, the team’s two-time Pro Bowler with 46 career sacks since 2019, ended up getting traded to the New York Giants on Monday during the legal tampering period. In exchange, Carolina received a second and fifth-round pick from the Giants.
He’ll soon earn a five-year, $150 million deal at his new stop once signings are officially made Wednesday. But Carolina’s decision was met with the wrath of outspoken fans — including country music star Luke Combs.
Brian Burns Trade Given ‘Legitimate Train Wreck’ Label
Fans didn’t hesitate to call out the state of the Panthers.
“The Panthers are a legitimate train wreck,” one fan said on X (formerly Twitter).
Another fan called out the franchise for not considering a future first-rounder as part of the deal. That’s a reference to a trade Carolina reportedly declined in 2022 when the Los Angeles Rams came calling.
“Bro the Panthers could’ve traded Brian Burns for two firsts and a second and ended up getting a second and a fifth,” the fan posted.
This also points to Carolina potentially using Burns to get back into the first round come April. The Panthers have no first-round selection due to the D.J. Moore/Bryce Young trade last year. The Giants hold the No. 6 pick.
Speaking of first-rounders, another fan wanted this explanation regarding the Panthers’ front office.
“Someone from this organization needs to sit me down and explain how we traded CMC (Christian McCaffrey), D.J. Moore, and Brian Burns, and returned NEGATIVE ONE first-rounders,” the fan shared. “Fire everyone in the front office. Again. Fire (David) Tepper for good measure.”
Yes indeed, even the blockbuster 2022 midseason trade involving McCaffrey didn’t involve a first-round pick from the San Francisco 49ers.
Perhaps the most vocal fan on X was country music star Luke Combs. “WHAT ARE WE DOING?!?!?” said Combs in his harsh criticism of the team.
.@Panthers WHAT ARE WE DOING?!?!? No first round pick for McCaffrey a few years back and now none for Burns?!?! Are we just fire bombing the whole team here or what? I usually don’t comment on these kinds of things but it’s just becoming slow torture at this point.
— Luke Combs 🎤 (@lukecombs) March 12, 2024
Meanwhile, on Burns’ side, he didn’t take long to react to his move.
He went with a “Rush Hour-themed clip featuring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Burns believes he’s Chan in the post — which is the final scene where Chan tells Tucker he’s always wanted to go to Madison Square Garden in New York.
— Brian Burns (@Fire_Burns99) March 11, 2024
Burns will now get the luxury of taking in a future New York Knicks game while also forming a new EDGE tandem with Kayvon Thibodeaux. For the Panthers, Burns’ departure was one of two significant losses in Charlotte.
Linebacker and leading tackler Frankie Luvu agreed to terms on a three-year, $36 million deal with the Washington Commanders. Luvu ranked as PFN’s No. 1 ranked free agent linebacker for the 2024 cycle.
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This now means Carolina has lost its top pass rusher and run stuffer on the same day.
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