New York Giants acquire edge rusher Brian Burns from Carolina Panthers

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen entered the offseason desperate to beef up the team’s organic pass rush and accomplished that task on Monday.

After several days of unsubstantiated rumors, the Giants pulled the trigger and acquired defensive end Brian Burns from the Carolina Panthers.

In exchange for Burns, the Giants will send a second- and a fifth-round pick to Carolina.

🚨 🚨 🚨

Trade! The #Panthers are trading star Brian Burns — at last! — to the #Giants, per me and @MikeGarafolo.

Burns lands a 5-year deal worth $150M max with $87.5M guaranteed, done by Todd France of @AthletesFirst.

Carolina sends Burns to NYG for a 2nd and 5th rounders.… pic.twitter.com/UpdtdzB6s6

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2024

Although the Panthers had placed the franchise tag on Burns, the two sides had completely halted contract negotiations. A trade was inevitable and the Giants had been in Dan Morgan’s ear for quite some time.

Burns will get a five-year contract extension worth $150 million with $87.5 million of it guaranteed.

The 25-year-old Burns was a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft and had spent his entire career in Carolina to this point. He’s appeared in 80 career games (67 starts) and recorded 246 tackles (151 solo, 59 for a loss), eight forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 13 passes defensed, 95 QB hits and 46.0 sacks.

Burns was named to the Pro Bowl in both 2021 and 2022.

In 2023, Burns earned a 74.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, as well as a 75.2 pass rush grade.