The mystery of the week has been solved . . . sorta.
With contracts talks between the Carolina Panthers and outside linebacker Brian Burns hitting a snag, the two sides have gone almost silent on the matter—as well as his Week 1 status. Head coach Frank Reich seemed genuinely uncertain if he’d have his two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher for Sunday while said two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher provided nothing but a cryptic Instagram story in the days leading up to the season opener.
But, he’ll continue to let his actions do the talking.
Burns is expected to play in today’s matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. Even despite not having reached the long-term agreement he’s sought all offseason, the standout 25-year-old defender was not listed as inactive and should be a go to begin his fifth NFL campaign.
Joining him in uniform will be fellow two-time Pro Bowler and wide receiver Adam Thielen, who is nursing an ankle injury. The 33-year-old was listed as questionable on the final injury report.
Here’s the full list of inactives for the Panthers on the afternoon:
- WR DJ Chark
- LB Claudin Cherelus
- CB D’Shawn Jamison
- G Nash Jensen
As for the host Falcons:
- WR Josh Ali
- TE John FitzPatrick
- OL Jovaughn Gwyn
- CB Mike Hughes
- CB Jeff Okudah
- WR Cordarrelle Patterson
- QB Logan Woodside (emergency QB)
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