Twitter fingers at ease, Carolina Panthers fans. There’s no need for panic-stricken speculation regarding your young defensive star just yet.
After wrapping up the second outing of rookie minicamp on Saturday afternoon, head coach Matt Rhule settled in for a far less awkward media session than the one he experienced a day before. In fact, the only question that even had the slightest potential to be awkward wasn’t even awkward at all.
When asked of defensive end Brian Burns’ current absence from the team facility, Rhule assured The Athletic’s Joseph Person that it was a non-issue and expects the 24-year-old to be present at mandatory minicamp starting June 14.
“Oh yeah, I’m assuming he will be,” Rhule said. “He went home to handle some things. And I’m sure he’ll be here soon.”
Burns is coming off his first Pro Bowl campaign, in which he tied a career-high in sacks (9.0). Two weeks ago, Carolina picked up his fifth-year option, triggering what’ll be a prosperous 2023 ($16.01 million) for the 2019 first-round pick.
So that aforementioned panic-stricken speculation about his absence, of course, will come about on the assumption that he wants a new deal. But, according to Rhule, that’s not what any of the ongoing attendance records are about.
“I don’t speak for him,” he added. “He was here. He was doing a good job while he was here. He went home. I’m expecting that he’ll be back.”
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