Brian Burns Suffers Major Injury, Latest NFL Rumors and Timeline to Return for Giants Star

The New York Giants fear edge-rusher Brian Burns suffered a torn ACL in Sunday's 12-7 win over the Tennessee Titans, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Burns didn't practice leading up to the game and was listed as questionable with an ankle injury. He played a total of 25 snaps against Tennessee before going down.

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The general vibes around the Giants right now belie the fact they're 2-1 to start the year.

Quarterback Jaxson Dart will miss the rest of the regular season due to a serious knee injury. Malik Nabers' comeback was interrupted after the dynamic wide receiver picked up a shoulder injury, though he did suit up Sunday. Now, Burns could be joining Dart on long-term injured reserve.

This could have serious implications on Burns' future in the Big Apple.

The 28-year-old returned to form in 2025, finishing with a career-high 16.5 sacks and earning his third Pro Bowl nod. He solidified his status as a key player in New York's defense.

Now, the Giants may think differently when looking at his contract over the next two years. Burns will count for $44.1 million against the salary cap in 2027 and 2028 before hitting free agency. The team would save $25.5 million by designating him as a post-June 1 cut.

Maybe New York will be willing to give Burns another year to see how he performs post-ACL tear.

But Kayvon Thibodeaux is a free agent next spring, and the organization staked a lot on second-year edge-rusher Abdul Carter. Depending on how those two perform, general manager Joe Schoen and coach John Harbaugh could face a tough decision with Burns.