NFL schedule leak reveals Carolina Panthers rumored international opponent

The Carolina Panthers are eagerly awaiting their fate as the NFL schedule-makers get set to officially release the 2024 season's structure. There is also the added excitement of an international game for the team's fanbase to enjoy this time around.

Carolina will be hosting a regular-season fixture at the Allianz Arena - home of German Bundesliga soccer team Bayern Munich. Just who that opponent is hasn't been confirmed as yet, but someone with close association with a potential opponent believes they have the answer.

Carolina Panthers rumored to play NY Giants in Germany

Nothing has been made public ahead of the big reveal on Wednesday morning, but Rubén F. Vargas, who is part of the Spanish radio team with the New York Giants and also provides content for Mundo NFL, revealed (unofficially) that Brian Daboll's men will take on the Panthers. He didn't confirm the date, but Joe Person of The Athletic believes that it could be around Oktoberfest.

Again, this is unconfirmed by league officials. But if it is the Giants, there is plenty of intrigue attached to this particular contest.

This centers around one man. Someone who'll be keen to make the Panthers pay for their mismanagement of his situation before trading him earlier this offseason.

Brian Burns was easily the team's best pass-rusher. He made two straight Pro Bowls and became one of the league's most explosive young edge presences. The Panthers famously turned down a whopping trade offer from the Los Angeles Rams - including two first-round picks - for his services. What happened after represented incompetence of the highest order.

Burns' contract situation was handled abysmally by those in power at the time. The Panthers didn't want to pay the going rate and the player became increasingly frustrated. Scott Fitterer was fired, but it became evident that the situation had gone way past breaking point.

After Dan Morgan placed the franchise tag on Burns to prevent him from leaving for nothing in free agency, no new deal arrived. The new general manager was forced to accept an offer from the Giants that consisted of a second-rounder, a fifth-round pick in 2025, and a late-round swap. This was seen as less than his projected worth, but it was merely a case of cleaning up the mess left by others.

This will be a revenge game of sorts for Burns in one of the world's greatest sporting venues. International games always come with an extra level of spectacle attached. This storyline only raises the stakes further.

We'll wait for official confirmation from the league, but all signs point to the Giants being Carolina's opponent on European soil. It could have been a lot worse, so head coach Dave Canales can fancy his chances of getting the better of Daboll if everything goes according to plan beforehand.