Report: Panthers turned down huge trade offer for 1 star player

Nov 22, 2020; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns (53) during the first quarter against the Detroit Lions at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

The Carolina Panthers have clearly entered a rebuilding phase after they fired head coach Matt Rhule and traded Christian McCaffrey, but that does not mean every star player on their roster is available.

The Panthers turned down a huge trade offer for defensive end Brian Burns, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. One team offered two first-round draft picks for Burns only to be told that Carolina is unwilling to part ways with the star pass-rusher.

Burns has four sacks through six games this season. The 2019 first-round pick has gotten better every season. He had 7.5 sacks as a rookie and then back-to-back 9-sack seasons heading into this year. The Panthers picked up the fifth-year option on Burns’ rookie contract this past offseason, which will pay him roughly $16 million in 2023. He is making a base salary of $2.3 million this year.

Burns is not the only player the Panthers have made off-limits. Schefter says they are also unwilling to trade wide receiver DJ Moore, defensive lineman Derrick Brown and cornerback Jaycee Horn.

Obviously, the Panthers are planning to sign Burns to an extension. They must think very highly of the 24-year-old if they turned down multiple first-round picks.