EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants pass rusher Brian Burns is believed to have torn his ACL during Sunday’s 12–7 victory over the Tennessee Titans, NFL Network and ESPN reported Monday.
The reported injury would end Burns’ season if confirmed. He left early in the fourth quarter and did not return, turning a narrow victory into another significant personnel concern for New York.
Burns had been playing through an ankle injury before hurting his knee. He played 25 snaps, mostly in pass-rush situations, after missing practice during the week, NorthJersey.com reported.
The Giants improved to 2–1 with the win in coach John Harbaugh’s first season, but they are now confronting the potential loss of a central member of their pass rush. Burns generated four quarterback pressures against Tennessee, according to the Next Gen Stats figures cited by NFL.com.
His absence would place more responsibility on Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux. Rookie linebacker Arvell Reese is another player whose use could become part of the discussion, although the Giants had not announced a specific adjustment on Monday morning.
The challenge extends beyond replacing one player’s snaps. Defensive packages that rely on several rush threats working together may need to be reconsidered if Burns is unavailable, while the coaching staff decides how to distribute work across the remaining group.
New York has already been forced to adjust at quarterback after Jaxson Dart suffered a knee injury in Week 2. That earlier setback is separate from Burns’ condition, but the two developments have quickly changed the personnel available to Harbaugh.
Sunday’s result kept the Giants above .500 despite those problems. Their next three scheduled opponents are Arizona, Washington and New Orleans, offering little time to settle the defensive rotation before another game week begins.
Burns recorded a career-high 16½ sacks last season and had not missed a game for New York since arriving from Carolina in March 2024, according to NorthJersey.com. The Giants are awaiting clarity on an injury that threatens to end that run and remove their most established edge rusher.
Read the complete report
This page is an original Sporting Page summary. The reporting remains with NFL Network report.
Read at NFL Network report
