The Carolina Panthers woeful start to the 2023 season continued with their 42-24 Week 5 loss to the Detroit Lions. Nobody is happy with losing games in the NFL, but Brian Burns' passion may have come out a bit too much during this one, as he subbed himself out of the game and slammed his helmet on the ground in frustration after a key penalty against his teammate Nick Thurman.
Early in the third quarter, Thurman jumped offside on 4th & 1 to extend the Lions drive with the score set at 28-10. Burns ended up checking out of the game due to his frustration over his teammates' mistake, and after the game, he revealed that he handled the situation wrong and apologized to his teammates, saying that his frustration with the game had gotten the best of him.
Article Continues Below“Yeah, I was frustrated. My passion came out. After I did that I went to my defense to apologize and let them know I’m still here. But it’s a passionate game. It’s not right for me to lash out because we make mistakes all the time. I didn’t have a perfect game. Nobody had a perfect game by any means. So yeah, I’ve got to keep my composure.’’ – Brian Burns, ESPN
Given how the Panthers were playing from behind all game long, picking up a big fourth down stop could have been a big momentum shifter for them, which is why Burns was so frustrated. However, it sounds like the situation has thankfully been resolved, and Burns and his teammates will get back to work as they prepare for another tough matchup against the Miami Dolphins in Week 6.