Panthers’ Brian Burns Headed to Giants in Trade, LB Secures $150M Contract

On Monday, New York Giants are finalizing a trade to acquire pass rusher Brian Burns from the Carolina Panthers.

Immediately following the trade agreement, the Giants wasted no time in offering Burns a new contract: a five-year deal valued at a maximum of $150 million, with $87.5 million guaranteed. Upon signing, Burns will receive $76 million fully guaranteed.

Panthers Gain Draft Picks in Brian Burns Trade

As part of the trade arrangement, the Panthers, who had recently designated Burns with their franchise tag, will obtain second- and fifth-round draft picks (specifically, Nos. 39 and 141 overall). 

However, this transaction cannot be formalized until the commencement of the league year, scheduled for Wednesday. 

Notably, this trade provides the Panthers with an additional $24 million in salary cap space, according to Over the Cap.

The Giants sought to bolster their pass rush, recognizing the necessity for a complement to Kayvon Thibodeaux, who excelled with 11.5 sacks during the 2023 season, participating in all 17 games.

However, due to Azeez Ojulari’s prolonged injury absence last season, the Giants managed only 34 sacks, placing them among the bottom five teams in the NFL in this statistic.

Similarly, the Panthers struggled in pass rushing, registering 27 sacks, which positioned them just below the Giants in the league rankings. 

Additionally, the Panthers ranked 29th in points allowed, although it should be noted that Burns was not a contributing factor to their defensive challenges.

Panthers’ Contract Hesitation and Burns’ Stats

The Panthers hesitated in offering Burns a long-term contract, resulting in him playing last season under the fifth-year option salary. 

Despite missing some preseason practices in pursuit of a new deal, negotiations remained unsuccessful.

Selected as the 16th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Burns has compiled impressive career statistics in 80 games, underscoring his on-field impact with 46 sacks, 95 quarterback hits, 59 tackles for loss, eight forced fumbles, and two recoveries, one of which resulted in a touchdown. Remarkably, he has only missed one game per season throughout his five-year NFL tenure.

With indications that the Giants will release free-agent running back Saquon Barkley, they swiftly pivoted to finalize a deal with running back Devin Singletary and are now poised to bolster their defense with Burns.