You can point out several weak points across the New York Giants‘ roster, but their stable of pass rushers is among the best in the league.
They have three former first-round picks getting after opposing quarterbacks in Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Abdul Carter.
That’s not even mentioning 2026 first-round pick Arvell Reese, who is expected to start his NFL career as an off-ball linebacker while he develops his skills as a pass rusher.
The only real question that persists around the Giants’ group of edge rushers is how playing time is going to be distributed among the likes of Carter, Thibodeaux, and Reese.
But Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton believes another question is looming, and it has to do with the biggest star of the bunch, Burns.
Giants May Have to Extend Brian Burns
Moton believes Burns is the next up to land a contract extension from the New York Giants because he has little guaranteed money remaining on his current deal.
“Coming off a 16.5-sack season, Burns can command a massive pay raise or at least a more financially stable deal,” wrote Moton.
“In March, the Giants restructured his contract, and he has no guaranteed money for the remaining three years of his pact with the team. Big Blue can address that by coming to terms with his camp on an extension. The 28-year-old is by far the team’s best defensive player and should be paid accordingly.”
If there’s anybody on the Giants roster that needs a new contract, it’s Burns. To take it a step further than Moton, he may be the best player in New York, period.
Last season, the former Carolina Panthers draft pick was a certified game wrecker.
He recorded 16.5 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, and even managed to force fumbles and deflect seven passes en route to his first All-Pro nod and third Pro Bowl selection.
Burns is the heartbeat of the Giants’ defense, and is too important to the organization not to be taken care of.
Extending him would send the right message to the locker room that if you perform, you get rewarded, and would certainly go a long way with fans after the debacle that was the Dexter Lawrence situation.
What Would a Brian Burns Extension Look Like?
When projecting a new contract for the New York Giants’ lone All-Pro defender, there are several baselines the front office can follow.
The NFL’s best pass rushers have cashed in so far this offseason, with players like Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter earning lucrative new contracts with the Houston Texans.
Anderson is the NFL’s highest-paid pass rusher, with an average annual value of $50 million per year.
Burns isn’t necessarily at those heights, but Hunter’s contract may be a closer fit.
The veteran Texans pass rusher recorded 15 sacks in 2025 and was named a second-team All-Pro, just like Burns.
Hunter only signed a one-year extension with Houston, keeping him with the Texans through 2027 with a value of $40.1 million.
That’s likely around the value Burns sits at right now, and for the Giants, that’s something they should absolutely look to emulate on a multi-year extension.
Giants Facing Unexpected Brian Burns Contract Question