Brian Burns Bio
Brian Burns (born April 23, 1998) is an American professional football linebacker for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles and was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft. Throughout his career, Burns has established himself as a key defensive player, earning multiple Pro Bowl selections.
Standing 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighing about 250 pounds, Burns combines length and quickness off the edge as a pass rusher. After spending his first five NFL seasons in Carolina, he now anchors the Giants defense on a long-term deal. He is widely regarded as one of the most productive edge defenders of his draft class.
Early Life and Background
Brian Burns was born on April 23, 1998, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He grew up in the South Florida area, where football is a year-round staple of the local sports culture. From an early age, Burns showed the frame and athleticism that would later define his game as a professional edge rusher.
He attended American Heritage School in Plantation, Florida, one of the strongest prep football programs in the state. Over his junior and senior seasons, he recorded 135 tackles and 28 sacks combined and helped his team capture state titles. His senior-year performance earned him a spot in the 2016 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, a showcase that features the top high school players in the country. Following the all-star game, he committed to Florida State University to play college football.
Path to American Football
Burns arrived at Florida State as a highly regarded pass-rushing prospect and made an immediate impact. As a freshman in 2016, he played in all 13 games and led all freshmen in the country with 8.5 sacks, an unusual level of production for a first-year college player. That debut season announced him as one of the premier young edge talents in college football.
As a sophomore in 2017, he started all 13 games and added 48 tackles and 4.5 sacks, showing continued growth against top competition. In his junior season of 2018, he started all 12 games and tallied 52 tackles and 10 sacks, earning First-team All-ACC honors. After that junior campaign, Burns decided to forgo his senior year and enter the 2019 NFL draft, where he was viewed as a first-round talent.
Brian Burns Career
Early Career (2019)
The Carolina Panthers selected Brian Burns in the first round with the 16th overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft. As a rookie, he appeared in 16 games and started five, finishing the year with 7.5 sacks, 25 total tackles, and one forced fumble. A highlight came in Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, when he recorded a sack on Gardner Minshew and returned a forced fumble for a touchdown in a 34–27 win.
Burns showed steady development through his early seasons in Carolina, gradually expanding his role as a full-time starter. He demonstrated the speed-to-power traits that had made him a top draft pick, learning from veteran teammates and refining his technique against the run and the pass.
Carolina Panthers Breakthrough (2020–2023)
In Week 3 of the 2020 season against the Los Angeles Chargers, Burns recorded his first sack of the year on Justin Herbert, a strip sack that the Panthers recovered, in a 21–16 win. Against the New Orleans Saints in Week 7, he added another strip sack on Drew Brees, and in Week 11 he posted two sacks on Matthew Stafford in a shutout of the Detroit Lions, earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week. He finished 2020 with nine sacks, 58 total tackles, four passes defended, and three forced fumbles while starting 14 of 15 games.
During the 2021 season, Burns appeared in all 17 games and started 16, recording nine sacks, 50 total tackles, four passes defended, and two forced fumbles. His strong play earned him his first Pro Bowl selection. He was later ranked 76th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2022, reflecting his growing reputation across the league.
In 2022, the Panthers picked up the fifth-year option on Burns’s contract, locking in another season. In Week 12 against the Denver Broncos, he posted two sacks on Russell Wilson along with a forced fumble and a pass deflection, again earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week. He finished 2022 with 12.5 sacks, 63 total tackles, three passes defended, and one forced fumble across 16 games, securing a second consecutive Pro Bowl selection and a 54th-place ranking on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2023.
Burns opened the 2023 season at Atlanta with seven tackles and two sacks, his third career multi-sack game. In Week 5 at Detroit, he passed Kevin Greene for fifth on the Panthers all-time sack list with his 42nd career sack. He closed the year with eight sacks, 50 total tackles, two passes defended, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery, and was voted 55th on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2024. On March 5, 2024, the Panthers placed the franchise tag on him.
New York Giants Era (2024–Present)
On March 13, 2024, the Panthers traded Burns along with a 2024 fifth-round pick from the San Francisco 49ers to the New York Giants in exchange for second-round and fifth-round picks in the 2024 NFL draft. The move gave the Giants a proven young pass rusher to lead their defensive front. Shortly after the trade, the Giants signed Burns to a five-year, $141 million contract with $87.5 million guaranteed, a deal that runs through the 2029 season.
Burns joined a Giants defense in the middle of a rebuild, and his arrival was seen as a cornerstone signing. His combination of size, speed, and experience immediately raised the profile of the team’s pass rush. He continued to be recognized among the league’s best, earning another Pro Bowl selection for the 2025 season.
Driving Style and Strengths
Brian Burns is known for his exceptional first-step quickness, length, and flexibility around the edge. He is most effective as a speed rusher who can bend the corner, but he has also developed a power counter and improved hand technique to defeat NFL tackles. His relentless motor and the ability to play the run as well as rush the passer make him a complete defensive end.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his career milestones, Burns has earned multiple Pro Bowl selections, recorded multiple NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors, and climbed into the top five on the Carolina Panthers’ all-time sack list. His 2024 trade and record-setting contract with the New York Giants marked one of the biggest defensive moves of that offseason.
Brian Burns Career Wins
Brian Burns has been a consistent contributor since entering the NFL, piling up sacks, tackles for loss, and disruptive plays across both Carolina and New York. While individual game wins in football are team results, his personal résumé is defined by multi-sack games, weekly conference honors, and three Pro Bowl selections.
NFL Highlights
Burns has posted three seasons with nine or more sacks, including a 12.5-sack campaign in 2022, and has recorded multiple multi-sack games against top quarterbacks such as Justin Herbert, Drew Brees, Matthew Stafford, and Russell Wilson. His first career multi-sack game came early in his career, and he has added to that list each season, including a 2023 opener with two sacks at Atlanta. He has been selected to the Pro Bowl following the 2021, 2022, and 2025 seasons.
Other Wins and Performances
In college, Burns led all freshmen nationally with 8.5 sacks in 2016 and was named First-team All-ACC in 2018. He also earned a roster spot in the 2016 U.S. Army All-American Bowl and helped American Heritage win state titles during his prep career.
Brian Burns Family
Family Background and Football Lineage
Brian Burns’s older brother, Stanley McClover, was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL draft, giving the family a direct connection to the league long before Brian reached the pros. The Burns family’s football ties helped shape his understanding of the work required to play at the highest level.
Personal Life
Burns is a fan of the Marvel character Spider-Man. Off the field, he has been active in community efforts tied to his teams and has built a strong social media presence, including a popular Instagram account under the handle associated with his playing number. Public details about his personal relationships and family life remain limited.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into 2025, Brian Burns is firmly established as a focal point of the New York Giants defense after his marquee 2024 trade and long-term extension. The Giants built their offseason around maximizing his impact, pairing him with complementary pass rushers and a defense designed to create one-on-one opportunities on the edge.
His 2025 Pro Bowl selection further underlined his standing among the league’s top edge defenders, validating the Giants’ investment in him. The combination of his career-high sack seasons, multi-sack outings, and consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks has made him a cornerstone of the team’s defensive identity.
Looking ahead, Burns remains under contract through 2029, giving the Giants long-term stability at a premium position. With his speed, length, and growing polish as a complete edge defender, he is expected to remain one of the central figures of the Giants’ defensive plans and a player to watch across the NFC.