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Giants Place Brian Burns on IR, Face Pass Rush Shortage
Confirmed
In Short: In a separate development, the Giants placed outside linebacker Brian Burns on injured reserve after he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 3 against the Tennessee Titans.
New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh acknowledged Wednesday that the team's decision to release Odell Beckham Jr. after just three games was a reflection of what he believed would help the team.
For Harbaugh, the move was centered on whether the current roster was giving the Giants enough to win.
Burns tore his ACL and lateral meniscus in his right knee during the game, according to NFL reporter Dan Duggan of The Athletic.
Burns is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair both injuries Thursday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.
The 2026 season has been particularly challenging for the Giants, who are already dealing with quarterback Jaxson Dart's season-ending knee injury.
Burns had the best season of his NFL career in 2025, recording 16.5 sacks and 31 quarterback hits.
The Giants will face the Arizona Cardinals in a Week 4 matchup on Sunday, with Burns out for the remainder of the season.
Tight end Isaiah Likely and outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux are stepping up to fill the void left by Burns.
Likely is focusing on building chemistry with quarterback Jameis Winston, while Thibodeaux is accepting a larger responsibility with Burns out.
The Giants' injury woes continue to mount, with Burns' injury adding to the team's challenges.
Despite the setbacks, the team remains optimistic and is focusing on developing chemistry and improving performance.
The Giants' deep pass rush rotation provides some comfort, but the loss of Burns is a significant blow to the team's defensive capabilities.
What this adds
The team's decision to release Beckham was also influenced by the current roster's performance.
Burns' injury is similar to that of Malik Nabers from the previous season, who also missed a significant portion of the year.
The Giants' Week 4 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals will test their ability to adapt to the new lineup.
Background
Jaxson Dart is out of the Giants' Week 2 game against the Rams due to a knee injury.
What's confirmed
- "New York Giants star outside linebacker Brian Burns tore the lateral meniscus in his right knee, in addition to tearing his ACL, according to league and team sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the injury," NFL reporter Dan Duggan of The Athletic reported.
What's still developing
- Berrios and Jones were signed from the practice squad on the same day Beckham was released and Burns went on injured reserve.
- The team also noted that his average of 92.8 receiving yards per game led Giants players with at least 50 appearances, underscoring how productive his original run had been.
- New York promoted Braxton Berrios and Charlie Jones from the practice squad Tuesday, adding two receivers as it moved on from Beckham and placed outside linebacker Brian Burns on injured reserve.
- It’s a big loss for the Giants, who signed Burns to a five-year, $141 million contract ahead of the 2024 season.
- McCarthy has joined the Giants, and both he and the players on offense will have to get used to each other.
- Burns played in just 25 defensive snaps against the Titans before going down with the injury.
- It’s a big loss for the Giants, as Burns played in all 17 games in each of his first two seasons with Big Blue.
- Even though Burns is out, the team can rely on former top-5 pick Kayvon Thibodeau to fill that role.
- Dart will miss at least the remainder of the regular season, with a slight possibility he could return if the Giants make the playoffs.
- The New York Giants have experienced a whirlwind few days.
- But inside the Giants’ locker room, the message from tight end Isaiah Likely and outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux is remarkably consistent: For Likely, that means continuing to build chemistry with Jameis Winston while simultaneously helping newly acquired McCarthy understand the offense.
- He has suffered the exact same injury Malik Nabers did last season, which required a long recovery period.