Former Panthers Defensive End Headed to New York
Brian Burns is headed to New York! The two-time Pro Bowl-selected defensive end who got franchise tagged by the Carolina Panthers right before the franchise tag deadline a week ago was traded to the New York Giants yesterday for a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft (No. 39 overall) and a 2025 fifth-round pick. The Giants are also swapping 2024 fifth-round picks with the Panthers and signing Burns to a huge five-year deal that is worth a maximum of $150 million with $87.5 million guaranteed. It seems as if Joe Schoen, the current general manager of the New York Giants organization, and Dan Morgan, the current general manager of the Carolina Panthers organization, were able to use their relationship, being that Morgan was a player for Carolina when Schoen used to work as a member of the coaching staff for the team and get a deal easily worked out here.
Burns came to Carolina a few years ago after spending three seasons as a player for Florida State University, before forgoing his senior season to enter the 2019 NFL Draft. During his time with the Seminoles, Burns was more than a reliable presence on the field as he started all 38 games he played in. In his first season, he led all freshmen in the country with eight and a half sacks on the season and in his second and third seasons he recorded 48 tackles and four and a half sacks and 52 tackles and ten sacks, respectively.
Since being drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the 16th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Burns has continued to be great on the field and a huge piece of Carolina’s defense. Between his first and second seasons, Burns played 31 games but made a jump during his second year increasing his first-season totals of 25 combined tackles, 19 solo and six assisted, to 58 combined tackles, 35 solo, and 23 assisted. He has continued to get better. In 2022 we saw him at his best yet as a professional as he finished the season with 58 combined tackles, 34 solo and 29 assisted, as well as 12 and a half sacks.
Burns played in 16 games for the Panthers in 2023. He had 50 combined tackles, 32 solo tackles, and 18 assisted tackles, while also recording 16 tackles for loss of yardage, eight sacks, and two pass deflections. In the Carolina Panthers' first game of the 2023 season versus the Atlanta Falcons on September 10th, the Panthers may have fallen short 24-10 but Burns did everything in his power to get them a victory as the five-year defensive end put up seven combined tackles, five solo and two assisted, with two tackles for a loss of yardage, and two sacks. As Brian joins the Giants, he has the chance to stand out with them while truly making a difference defensively for a team that has recently been struggling as they failed to make this past season’s NFL playoffs compiling a record of 6-11.
