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.

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.