The Will Anderson Effect: How Might it Affect Giants' Cost to Keep Brian Burns

Fresh off the news of Houston Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr’s mega three-year, $150 million contract extension that makes him the highest paid non-quarterback ever, and which re-set the edge position APY floor at $50 million, don’t be surprised if Brian Burns of the New York Giants has taken notice.

Burns, without question, has been the Giants' best defensive player for the two years he’s been part of Big Blue since coming over in a trade from Carolina. He is currently set to enter Year 3 of his five-year, $141 million contract he received as part of the trade.

Burns, who turns 28 years old on April 23, will carry a $21.383 million cap hit in 2026 after his 2026 base salary was restructured last month to give the team $15.1 million in salary cap breathing space. He also no longer has any guaranteed money owed to him on his contract; his $28.2 million APY currently ranks eleventh among edge rushers.

Unlike his teammate, Dexter Lawrence, who is also out of guaranteed money on his existing deal, Burns has given no hint of being dissatisfied with having “outgrown” his contract, the star edge rusher being among his teammates taking part in the voluntary off-season program.

That’s a credit to Burns, who in his two seasons with New York has not only recorded 25.0 sacks, but has yet to miss a game to injury.

But what if Burns were to have another solid season this year and decide that he, too, would like his contract adjusted to reflect his value? With the salary cap continuing to rise, what might Burns, who is four years older than Anderson, be worth?

Burns vs. Anderson: A Statistical Comparison

Feb 2, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) during AFC practice at the NFL Flag Fieldhouse at Moscone Center South Building. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Before we get to the money, let’s look at the production between the two.

Burns has averaged 10.6 sacks over his seven-year career, never once posting a season with fewer than 7.5 sacks, which he did in 2019, his rookie season. He has three Pro Bowl berths and one send-team All-Pro nod to his name.

Anderson has averaged 11.1 sacks over his three-year career, and has already earned two Pro Bowl berths, a first-team All-Pro nod, and the 2023 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, having played for a Texans team that has had far more success than the Panthers and Giants, for whom Burns has played.

Anderson was also runner-up in the AP Defensive Player of the Year voting last year and has back-to-back double-digit sack seasons in 2024 and 2025.

To get a more recent apples-to-apples comparison, let’s look at the stats from 2023, Anderson’s first season, through 2025.

In that span, Burns has 33.0 sacks, which ranks ninth among edge rushers. But Anderson isn’t that far behind, with 30.0 sacks over that period.

Where Anderson tops Burns is in pass-rush win rate, 17.5% to Burns’s 12.5%, per PFF data.

What Could Burns Be Looking at Financially with an Extension?

New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns (0) and New York Giants defensive end Chauncey Golston (57) celebrate during a game against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium, Dec 21, 2025, East Rutherford, NJ, USA | Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Burns, who again is four years older than the Texans’ star, probably won’t reset the market despite his productivity, even if he continues at the pace he’s been on.

And as far as what he could be looking at regarding a pay bump, that will depend on when he approaches the Giants (if he does) for an increase.

But a bump in his APY from $28.2 million to the high $30 million/low $40 million range as part of a three-year extension would appear to be a reasonable expectation.

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