Brian Burns' Two-Season Sack Total Prove the Giants' Blockbuster Trade Was Worth It

Since arriving from Carolina, Burns has set career highs across the board and now sits one season from a sack feat no Giants defender has touched since Justin Tuck.

New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Outside linebacker Brian Burns has delivered 25.0 sacks in two seasons since the  New York Giants acquired him from the Carolina Panthers, and he's never posted fewer than 7.5 sacks in any season since entering the league as the 16th overall pick in the 2019 draft.

Burns has been worth every asset the Giants gave up to get him—a 2024 second-round pick, a 2025 fifth-rounder, and a fifth-round swap—plus the five-year, $141 million contract with $87.5 million guaranteed.

But there are so many more reasons why the 6-foot-5, 250-pounder has been worth his weight in cap dollars for the Giants, starting with his availability.

He’s been the picture of durability, having never missed a game in two seasons with the Giants, including his injury-filled 2024 campaign, when he dealt with several painful lower-body injuries that would have sent a weaker-willed man to IR.

Burns Set Career Highs in Sacks, TFLs, and QB Hits in 2025

New York Giants Brian Burns sacks Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) during a Thursday Night Football game between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Oct. 9, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Burns anchored a deep Giants pass-rushing group last year that also included Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter, and which added rookie Arvell Reese in 2026.

But there are some intangibles that make him indispensable besides his determination to be on the field for every game and to be a part of every single practice.

He offers elite-level speed off the edge, which was put on display last season when he recorded an impressive and career-high 16.5 sacks. He also recorded career bests in tackles for loss (22), quarterback hits (31), and forced fumbles (3).

And he was one pass breakup shy of his career high of 8, set in 2024, his first season with the Giants.

Burns Is One Season From a Sack Feat Untouched Since Justin Tuck

Brian Burns can become the first New York Giants defender to record back-to-back double-digit sack seasons since defensive end Justin Tuck did so in 2007 and 2008. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the departure of Dexter Lawrence, Burns now becomes the central point of the Giants’ defensive front, the man who needs to get ready for extra attention from opponents who will challenge him all season long to match or exceed the career highs he set last season.

That’s a hidden reason why Burns is so indispensable–the extra attention will open up other opportunities for the rest of the defensive front seven to weave their way into the offensive backfield to play the role of disruptors.

His speed off the edge also alleviates some pressure off the Giants’ defensive secondary, a unit that last year was arguably the least impressive on the defensive side of the ball.  

With new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson having promised an aggressive defensive scheme that will alternate between three- and four-man fronts, Burns’s athleticism and bend offer Wilson the flexibility to play Burns as a defensive end or as an outside linebacker.

This coming season, Burns has a chance to become the first Giants defender to record back-to-back double-digit sack seasons since Justin Tuck did so in 2007 and 2008. 

Burns also gives Wilson so many options to deploy, which will play nicely into the defensive coordinator’s desire to field an unpredictable, attacking-style defense.

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