4 Panthers players who shouldn’t play a snap vs. Saints
By Dean Jones
Brian Burns – Carolina Panthers DE
Brian Burns has given absolutely everything for the Carolina Panthers this season.
But enough is enough for 2020.
This has nothing to do with production. Burns has been sensational throughout the campaign to emerge as one of the NFL’s best young defensive ends and he deserves a tremendous amount of credit for defying the odds and taking the field at Washington last time out.
The former first-round pick was clearly feeling the effects of a grueling campaign, which is understandable considering the pressure Burns has been forced to play under this season.
He’s handled the responsibility of going from a rotational piece to the team’s No. 1 pass-rushing option extremely well and Carolina might just decide that putting him out on the field will do more harm than good with the knocks piling up.
If this scenario plays out, then Burns can look back on his efforts in 2020 with a great sense of pride. He has logged nine sacks, 58 tackles, eight tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, four passes defended, 21 quarterback hits, and 38 pressures, resulting in a lofty 76.8 grade from Pro Football Focus to further enhance his credentials.
The sky is the limit for Burns if he makes further strides this offseason. So getting their best defensive player some extra rest is probably the best solution with nothing to play for other than pride.