On Monday, the spotlight shone brightly on the New York Giants. Their running back Saquan Barkley made headlines by joining the Philadelphia Eagles. However, they also made a game-changing move as they traded snagged Carolina Panthers’ standout linebacker Brian Burns in a blockbuster deal.
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Burns brings a powerful defensive boost to the Giants. His performances have been consistently strong and impactful since he started playing for the Panthers. The star linebacker kickstarted his pro football career after the Carolina Panthers drafted him as the 16th overall in the 2019 NFL draft.
In his rookie year, he only started in five out of 16 games. Despite that, he managed to rack up an impressive 7.5 sacks, 25 tackles, and 16 hits on the quarterback. The Panthers quickly realized they had a budding star on their hands who was poised to breakout soon.
The Panthers’ faith in him paid off when he started 14 out of 15 games the following season. He lived up to expectations with 9.0 sacks, 58 tackles, 21 QB Hits, four defended passes, and three forced fumbles. His next two seasons were even more impressive, with 9.0 sacks and 50 tackles in 2021, and a career-best 12.5 sacks and 63 tackles in 2022. His outstanding performances earned him Pro Bowl selections in both these seasons.
Despite a slight dip in stats last season, his performance still outshone most linebackers in the league. In 16 games, he racked up 8.0 sacks, 50 tackles, 18 hits on the quarterback, defended two passes, recovered one fumble, and forced one fumble.
Despite his stellar performance, his team never made it to the playoffs during his five-year tenure. The Panthers’ last playoff appearance was in 2017. Now, with Brian Burns starting fresh with the New York Giants, he will have his sights set on the Super Bowl, especially since the Giants are gearing up to dominate the upcoming season.
Brian Burns’ Contract with New York Giants
In the first week of March, the Carolina Panthers had offered Brian Burns a one-year $24.007 million franchise tag. However, a week later, Brians has made a significant move in his career by joining the New York Giants.
As per Ian Rapoport, the Giants on Monday, traded Burns from Panthers for 2024 fourth round pick and a 2025 fifth round pick. Following the trade, Burns signed a massive 5-year, 150 million contract with $87.5 million in guarantees. With this deal he could average a whooping $30 million annually, which might make him the second highest paid edge defender behind 49ers’ Nick Bosa.
This marks a significant rise for the star linebacker. Last year, he earned $16 million, and in his first four seasons with the Panthers, he made $13.5 million which still is less than $30 million. He certainly deserves his pay, given the explosiveness and experience he’ll bring to the Giants in return.
