Giants Land One Defensive Star in NFL's 2026 Pro Bowl

Brian Burns has been a consistent bright spot in a season gone astray.

New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns was named to his third Pro Bowl and first as a Giant. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

New York Giants outside linebacker Brian Burns, who stands second in the NFL in sacks with 15 and who has been one of the consistent bright spots in an otherwise dismal 2025 season for Big Blue, was voted to his third Pro Bowl in his career and first as a member of the Giants.

Burns, who has played in 79% of the defensive snaps this season for the Giants, has not missed a game since being acquired by the Giants in a trade with the Panthers after the 2023 season.

Burns’ 15 sacks this season mark a new career single-season best, topping the 12.5 he recorded in 2022 for the Panthers, that season having been his last Pro Bowl berth.

Burns also has set a new single-season career high in quarterback hits with 27, and is 10 tackles away from equaling last year’s career-best of 71 set with the Giants. 

Burns, who goes by the nickname of “Spiderman” after the Marvel Comics superhero, finished first in the NFC in fan voting and second league-wide, behind Denver Broncos outside linebacker Nik Bonito. Burns will be a starter for the NFC all-star team.

In two seasons with the Giants, he has posted 23.5 sacks and 45 quarterback hits, along with 132 tackles in 32 games.

Burns, who signed a five-year, $141 million contract with the Giants following the trade with the Panthers, has already earned a $1.8 million performance bonus for having topped the 12.5-sack mark. 

The Pro Bowl berth he just earned would have also qualified him for the performance bonus had he not reached the 12.5 sacks.

Burns was originally selected No. 16 overall in the 2019 NFL draft, out of Florida State, going one spot ahead of future Giants teammate Dexter Lawrence in that draft.

When he came to the Giants, he spoke of his determination to overcome prior career adversity, which included a left elbow injury and having to deal with five different head coaches during his time in Carolina.

"I want to put that in the rearview (mirror) as soon as possible," he said . "But I honestly would say that I feel like it definitely prepared me for what's coming in the future. Going through seasons as such was tough, but it kind of teaches you resilience. It kind of teaches you not to give up. It kind of just shows your character. So, I feel like throughout that process, I've grown."

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