Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns speaks to his teammates on the bench during a break against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC on Sunday, October 23, 2022. The Panthers defeated the Buccaneers 21-3.
jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
The Carolina Panthers will have just one representative at the 2023 NFL Pro Bowl in Las Vegas.
Defensive end Brian Burns was named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl on Wednesday. He made last year’s Pro Bowl as an alternate. This year, he will be listed as a starter for the all-star event.
With just three games remaining in the season, Burns, 24, has produced a single-season career high of 10.5 sacks. He ranks sixth all-time in Panthers history with 36 career sacks.
Panthers GM Scott Fitterer turned down a trade offer of two first-round picks for Burns earlier this season. Following the Week 7 trade of running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers, Fitterer said Burns was part of the Panthers’ young nucleus that he wanted to retain for the future.
At 5-9, the Panthers weren’t expected to have a full gamut of Pro Bowl selections. Punter Johnny Hekker — a four-time Pro Bowler — and right guard Austin Corbett are notable omissions from the group.
According to the Panthers, Hekker was a named a second alternate. He will play in the game if Washington Commanders punter Tress Way in unavailable. Special teams ace Sam Franklin Jr. and long snapper J.J. Jansen were both named second alternates. Cornerback Jaycee Horn received a third alternate designation.
A new cornerback in town
The Panthers added to their secondary on Wednesday.
The team claimed cornerback Justin Layne off waivers from the Chicago Bears. The Panthers had two open spots on their 53-man roster, so a corresponding move wasn’t necessary.
Layne, a 2019 third-round pick, spent his first three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was waived by the Steelers in August and was claimed by the New York Giants. Layne spent the first half of the season with the Giants before landing with the Bears for a few weeks.
Layne, at 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds, has produced 45 career tackles. He will provide depth at cornerback behind starters Jaycee Horn and C.J. Henderson. Horn (shoulder) has been limited in practice this week, while Henderson has been nursing an ankle injury while practicing in a full capacity.
Along with Henderson and Horn, Layne will join Keith Taylor Jr. at the position. Free safety Myles Hartfield can also play cornerback if called upon.
Layne will have just one practice to prepare for Saturday’s matchup against the Detroit Lions.
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Mike Kaye covers the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer. Kaye previously covered the entire NFL for Pro Football Network, the Philadelphia Eagles for NJ Advance Media and the Jacksonville Jaguars for First Coast News. He is a graduate of the University of North Florida.