New York Giants outside linebacker Brian Burns to undergo surgery after torn ACL
New York Giants outside linebacker Brian Burns suffered a torn ACL in the fourth quarter of the Giants’ 12-7 victory over the Tennessee Titans and will undergo surgery, coach John Harbaugh confirmed Monday. Burns went down with 11:02 remaining after appearing to plant and take contact to the side. He had been playing through an ankle injury sustained the previous Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams, did not practice all week and was listed as questionable on the final injury report.
Harbaugh called Burns “not just a great player” and described him as a leader of the defense and a worker who sets the tone. “He is not just a great player, which he is,” Harbaugh said, adding that Burns has been a veteran leader and a star who leads by example. Harbaugh said he felt badly for Burns and emphasized the emotional toll of losing a teammate while stressing the need for the club to move forward.
The injury marks back-to-back weeks the New York Giants have lost a key player and leader, following quarterback Jaxson Dart’s knee issue. Harbaugh said Sunday that Dart will be out for the remainder of the regular season, at least. Harbaugh added that the team must overcome the shock, get ready for the next game and find ways to win despite the setbacks.
Burns had never missed a game as a Giant, making 37 consecutive appearances since he was traded from the Carolina Panthers in 2024, and he had started all of them until Sunday, when Kayvon Thibodeaux opened the game in his place. Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter will now shoulder a larger workload as the team seeks to replace Burns’ pass-rushing production. “They’re going to have to, for sure,” Harbaugh said, noting both players have been playing a lot and that Abdul has been on the field extensively. Harbaugh added that the club needs to get on track up front and find ways to get to the quarterback more often.
Burns was coming off a banner 2025 season in which he was named second-team All-Pro by The Associated Press and was voted to his third career Pro Bowl, his first as a Giant. In his seventh NFL season, he set career highs with 16.5 sacks, 31 quarterback hits, 22 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles while starting all 17 games for the second consecutive season with the Giants. His 31 quarterback hits were the most by any Giant since the statistic began being tracked in 2006. He is one of eight players ever to record at least 7.5 sacks in each of his first seven seasons, joining Reggie White, Derrick Thomas, DeMarcus Ware, Jared Allen, Aaron Donald, Ryan Kerrigan and Yannick Ngakoue.
Burns has 71 sacks since entering the league in 2019 as a first-round pick from Florida State, tying him with Maxx Crosby for fifth in the NFL in that span. Last month he was voted No. 14 on the NFL’s “Top 100 Players of 2026,” making him the highest-ranked Giants defender ever to appear on the players’ list. The injury will cut short an encore to his banner year and end his streak of at least 7.5 sacks in each of his first seven seasons. The Giants will have to adjust schematically and emotionally while finding ways to replace his consistent pressure.
NFL Sports Blog Take
Burns’ torn ACL removes a premier pass-rushing force and veteran leader from a New York Giants defense that relied on his consistent pressure last season. The immediate impact will be on third-down pass rush and creating negative plays behind the line of scrimmage, areas where Burns routinely produced. Expect Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter to see increased snaps and blitz responsibilities as the Giants seek ways to maintain quarterback pressure without Burns’ production.