During a Wednesday press conference, Panthers head coach Frank Reich declined to say if defensive end Brian Burns would practice later in the day after missing recent practices amid a push for a new contract.
Burns didn’t shed any light on the status of talks about a new pact, but he did take a different approach to the team’s practice session. Burns wore his helmet and full pads to take the field with the rest of the team.
Burns was not listed on the team’s injury report, which suggests that he was a full participant in practice. Reich said at the press conference that he had not started thinking about Burns’ availability for Sunday’s game against the Falcons, but the change in practice participation would seem to be a positive sign for Burns’ availability.
Wednesday may have brought a positive development on the contract front as well. Nick Bosa’s agreement with the 49ers on a five-year extension will reportedly set a new high for defensive players and could help the two sides find the framework for a deal in Carolina.
