Brian Burns
- Height
- 6-5
- Weight
- 250
- Age
- 28
- College
- Florida State
- Drafted
- 2019 · R1 P16
- Exp
- 8
Overview
Brian Burns tore his ACL in the fourth quarter of the Giants' 12-7 win over Tennessee on Sept. 27, 2026, and will have surgery, coach John Harbaugh said the next day. Burns was already playing through a low ankle sprain from Week 2 and did not start against the Titans. He had made 37 straight appearances, all but the last one starts, since the Giants acquired him in 2024. The team has not given a timeline for his return.
Carolina drafted Burns 16th overall out of Florida State in 2019. He made two Pro Bowls with the Panthers, in 2021 and 2022, and had 46 sacks in five seasons before they traded him.
The Giants sent Carolina a 2024 second-round pick, a 2025 fifth-round pick and a swap of fifth-round picks for Burns in March 2024, then signed him to a five-year, $141 million contract that included a $35 million signing bonus and $87.5 million guaranteed.
His 2025 season was the best of his career. He had 16.5 sacks, second in the NFL behind Cleveland's Myles Garrett and tied with Jason Pierre-Paul's 2011 total for fourth-most in a season in Giants history. He also set career highs with 31 quarterback hits, the most by a Giant since the statistic was first tracked in 2006, and 22 tackles for loss. He matched his career high with three forced fumbles. He was named second-team All-Pro and made his first Pro Bowl as a Giant. His 71 sacks since 2019 rank fifth in the NFL over that span.
In 2026, Burns opened the season paired with Abdul Carter, the No. 3 overall pick in 2025. He had no sacks in three games before the injury. Harbaugh called him "in many ways the leader of the defense" and said Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux would have to take on more of the pass rush.
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Frequently asked
- How did Brian Burns end up on the Giants?
- The Giants traded a 2024 second-round pick, a 2025 fifth-round pick, and a fifth-round pick swap to Carolina in March 2024 to acquire Burns, then signed him to a five-year extension.
- What is Brian Burns' contract with the Giants?
- Burns signed a five-year, $141 million contract with the Giants in March 2024, including a $35 million signing bonus and $87.5 million guaranteed.
- Where did Brian Burns go to college and how was he drafted originally?
- Burns played college football at Florida State and was drafted 16th overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2019 NFL Draft.
- How many sacks did Brian Burns have with the Panthers before the trade?
- Burns recorded 46 sacks across five seasons in Carolina and earned two Pro Bowl selections, in 2021 and 2022, before being traded to the Giants in 2024.
- What is Brian Burns' role on the Giants defense in 2026?
- Burns opened 2026 as a starting edge rusher opposite Abdul Carter. He tore his ACL in the fourth quarter of the Giants' Sept. 27 win over Tennessee and will have surgery. The Giants have not given a timeline for his return.
- Why did the Giants restructure Brian Burns' contract?
- The Giants have restructured Burns' contract twice to create salary-cap space. In May 2025, they converted $16 million of his 2025 salary into a signing bonus, clearing $12 million in cap space. In March 2026, they converted $22.75 million of his 2026 base salary into a signing bonus, clearing $15.1 million, according to Giants Wire.
Also at linebacker:Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Micah McFadden, Zaire Barnes, Jack Kelly