Giants lose star pass rusher Brian Burns to torn ACL, adding to growing injury crisis

When it rains, it pours in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The New York Giants have been ravaged by injuries over the past few weeks and have seemingly been dealt another significant blow.

After leaving Sunday's win over the Tennessee Titans in the fourth quarter with a knee injury, star pass rusher Brian Burns suffered a torn ACL and will undergo surgery, Giants coach John Harbaugh announced on Monday.

The 28-year-old suffered the injury with roughly 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter on a first-and-10 play where Titans quarterback Cam Ward completed a 1-yard pass to running back Tony Pollard. After the play, Burns was down on the field in noticeable pain.

Burns had been playing in this game despite already dealing with another injury. He hurt his ankle in last Monday's 28-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

The All-Pro pass rusher was entering the 2026 season after posting a career-high 16.5 sacks with New York last season. Through three games, Burns had four tackles, four pressures and two quarterback hits. With him likely facing a season-ending injury, New York's pass rush depth will be tested. After Burns, the Giants have Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Arvell Reese as possible options to take on more of the pass-rushing load.

As we noted, this isn't the only injury the Giants are trying to overcome. Last week against L.A., the club saw starting quarterback Jaxson Dart go down with a knee injury. While there was initial optimism that the ailment wasn't serious, it was later revealed that it required surgery, and Dart has since been put on the shelf for the year.

So, when accounting for Dart's injury, the Giants are suddenly down their two most important players, one on each side of the ball. That's a deflating development for a team that had high hopes entering the 2026 season with John Harbaugh installed as head coach, and optimism overflowing after a Week 1 upset over Dallas. Now, they're viewing the 2026 season through an entirely different lens.