It turns out the season-ending knee injury suffered by New York Giants edge rusher and NFL All-Pro Brian Burns is worse than just the torn ACL he was initially diagnosed with.
“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,” The Athletic’s Dan Duggan wrote on Thursday morning. “Burns is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair both injuries Thursday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.”
Burns, who finished 2nd in the NFL with 18.5 sacks in 2025, injured his knee in a Week 3 win over the Tennessee Titans. He didn’t practice in the week leading up to the game with an ankle injury but was a game-time decision to play — a game that ended up being played in the pouring rain.
“Brian Burns also tore his meniscus, per Dan,” New York Daily News NFL reporter Pat Leonard wrote on his official X account on Thursday. “Shouldn’t have been in the game at all, in my opinion … (it was) an unnecessary risk the Giants took (and it backfired).
Giants Lost 2 Best Players in Consecutive Weeks
The last 2 weeks have been a nightmare for the Giants in terms of injuries after they lost their starting quarterback, Jaxson Dart, to a season-ending knee injury in a Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Giants head coach John Harbaugh said there was “some hope” Burns would still be OK following the win over the Titans — hope that was gone just 1 day later when reports of Burns’ torn ACL surfaced.
“This is awful but the Giants shouldn’t have let Brian Burns play in that game,” Philly Special’s Anthony DiBona wrote on his official X account on September 28. “Terrible decision!”
“The Giants aren’t lying or intentionally leading people astray,” Giants reporter Connor J. Hughes wrote on his official X account. “The medical team/training staff perform initial on-field testing. Those reports on Jaxson Dart, and Brian Burns, came back believing worst-case was avoided. It’s why they said what they did in Dart last week, Burns yesterday. The MRI revealed the true extent of the damage not shown with the initial exams. I do not blame the team for sharing intel as it currently stands. The caveat for all the injuries was ‘but waiting for the MRI.’ This is why.”
Burns 1 of NFL’s Highest-Paid Defensive Players
The Giants signed Burns to a 5-year, $141 million contract extension before the 2024 season, and in 2026, for the 1st time in his career, Burns lived up to the money.
Burns’ career-high 16.5 sacks in 2025 earned him NFL All-Pro honors for the 1st time despite playing on 1 of the NFL’s worst teams, and it also earned him the No. 9 spot among edge rushers in ESPN’s annual preseason position rankings.
New York Giants Get More Bad Injury News on NFL All-Pro Brian Burns