Brian Burns Injury Update, Latest NFL Rumors on Giants Star's Knee, Return Timeline Ahead of Surgery

It appears that New York Giants star edge rusher Brian Burns could be sidelined for longer than initially expected.

After Giants head coach John Harbaugh confirmed that Burns suffered a torn ACL in Sunday's win over the Tennessee Titans, league and team sources told The Athletic's Dan Duggan that he also tore the lateral meniscus in his right knee. The 28-year-old is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair both injuries on Thursday.

Duggan noted that the "typical timeline for recovery from ACL and meniscus surgery is 9-to-12 months." Giants star receiver Malik Nabers suffered a similar injury early in the 2025 season and had to undergo a second "clean-up" surgery to remove scar tissue, but he recovered in time to start the 2026 campaign.

Before Sunday's injury, Burns had been a shining example of consistency. In his first seven NFL seasons between the Giants and the Carolina Panthers, he had missed just three games.

A three-time Pro Bowler, Burns is New York's defensive leader. His injury came just a week after the team lost second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart to season-ending knee surgery. Harbaugh explained the team's mindset after these devastating injuries.

"We got our quarterback one week and probably our top defensive player, you might say, the next week is shocking," Harbaugh told reporters on Monday. "But you've got to overcome the shock, and you've got to get ready to play the next game and find a way to win the next game. That's what we'll be doing as a team. But I feel bad for Brian more than anything, my heart breaks for him that way."

It can be expected that edge rusher Kaybon Thibodeaux will see an increased role opposite Abdul Carter in Burns' absence. The Giants have produced just one sack this season, ranking 31st in the league.

New York (2-1) will try to get used to life without Burns when it faces the Arizona Cardinals (1-2) in Week 4.