Expensive Giants star among NFL players under most pressure to perform

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen made a splash early in the offseason, acquiring linebacker Brian Burns from the Carolina Panthers and promptly signing him to a five-year contract extension worth up to $150 million.

ESPN’s Seth Walder recently panned that move, calling it a “curious choice” for a struggling Giants franchise.

The contract extension aside, Burns arrives in East Rutherford with high expectations as he pairs with fellow linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux in the new-look Shane Bowen defense. He will be relied upon to create organic pressure, which has been an area of weakness for the Giants over the past five-plus seasons.

Accordingly, Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports recently named Burns one of the NFL’s 12 non-quarterbacks under the most pressure to perform in 2024.

New York also has Kayvon Thibodeaux to help the pass rush, but Burns got a lucrative commitment after arriving via trade; specifically, his $28.2 million-per-year average ranks third among all edge rushers, behind only Nick Bosa and Josh Allen, even though he’s had double-digit sacks in just one of four NFL seasons. With Brian Daboll’s offense still a work in progress, he could be critical to their trajectory.

Burns wasn’t exactly surrounded by high-end talent in Carolina and often did much of the heavy lifting on his own. And while the Giants have plenty of their own depth issues, the veteran stands to gain from the presence of Thibodeaux, Dexter Lawrence, and Bobby Okereke.

Still, there’s little doubt that given the Giants’ investment, Burns feels the weight on his shoulders. He has to ensure that Schoen gets his money’s worth.