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Carolina's edge rusher Brian Burns has been a defensive superstar since he entered the league in 2019. The former 16th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft has been one of the biggest bright spots on an up-and-coming Carolina defense.
Burns is coming off a career year in 2022 where he logged a career-high 12.5 sacks, 2.5 away from the single-season franchise record (15). However, the 25-year-old edge rusher missed the final game of the season with an ankle injury and underwent a surgical procedure this offseason to repair a small fracture.
So, is Burns injured or healthy? Will he be ready for Week 1? Let's take a look.
Brian Burns 2022 Stats
Burns' fifth-year option was picked up for the 2023 NFL season by the Panthers in 2022. The two-time Pro Bowler is set to make $16 million this year, and the team hopes to sign him to a longer deal in the future.
The edge rusher has logged at least 7.5 sacks in each of his first four NFL seasons, and 2022 was a career year. He logged a career-high in sacks, tackles (63), tackles for loss (17), and quarterback hits (22) last year. He made his second straight Pro Bowl and played a career-high 951 defensive snaps, 111 more than his previous career-high.
If you're playing in an individual defensive player (IDP) league, that type of consistency is what you want on your fantasy roster. He had a sack in 10 games and played more than 50 snaps in 15 of 16 games last season. Burns was always on the field and has the potential to get sacks on any given play – a nice target in IDP leagues.
Is Brian Burns injured or healthy?
Burns didn't practice at Carolina's minicamps earlier in June following his ankle surgery in mid-April, but there isn't any concern with the edge rusher's availability for Training Camp next month.
The surgery was minor, and the Pro Bowler will return to play in July "with no limitations." The Panthers will kick off their Training Camp on July 26 and run until August 10. Burns is expected to be on the field at full strength for the team's first day of camp.
With Burns eyeing a Training Camp return from his ankle injury, he will surely be ready for Week 1. Carolina will travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons on September 10 to open the season.
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