The New York Giants' season is getting more difficult to navigate by the week, as they are now dealilng with another season-ending injury to one of their top players. Brian Burns shockingly played on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans after suffering a low ankle sprain last Monday and didn't practice all week. But in the fourth quarter in rainy and windy MetLife Stadium, Burns went down with a non-contact knee injury. Head coach John Harbaugh said after the game that there was optimism the injury wouldn't be too severe once Burns goes for an MRI.
But on Monday, multiple reports indicated that Burns suffered a torn ACL, meaning that he is officially out for the remainder of the season. This is now back-to-back weeks in which one of the Giants' top players was ruled out for the season, with quarterback Jaxson Dart being the other.
Not having Burns for the rest of the season hurts the Giants' chances at contending for the playoffs. But now, there is some uncertainty regarding Burns' future with the team.
Brian Burns' future with Giants up in the air after torn ACL
Obviously, thinking about Burns' future with the team isn't something that fans want to think about right now. But, the Giants have a decision they need to make with Burns, and rather soon.
Burns has two years remaining on his contract, where he is set count for $44 million against the salary cap per year. As The Athletic's Dan Duggan points out, Burns was an obvious candidate to receive a contract extension after this season in an effort to lessen his cap hit. But now that he's dealing with a torn ACL, that plan might be out the window.
Burns has a proven track record where it makes sense for the Giants to keep him under contract for the foreseeable future. Just last season, Burns recorded 16.5 sacks in what was an overall bad year for the Giants. But now, with a torn ACL, the Giants may have to wait a bit longer to come to a conclusion as to whether or not to extend Burns.
Will Burns be able to return to the level he was playing after a torn ACL? That is something that will take next season to find out once he is cleared to return and gets enough reps in during practice. Not to mention, the Giants will have some contract decisons to make along the defensive line with Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter. Given the contracts being handed out for pass rushers, both deals won't be cheap, especially as years go on.
For now, what seemed like a no-brainer of a move will require some extra thinking for the Giants.
Giants' pass rush faces huge test without Brian Burns
Enteirng this season, the Giants pass rush was expected to be their greatest strength. After all, they had Burns, Carter, and Thibodeaux on the depth chart. Three games into the season, it has been anything but that. The trio only logged one sack on the year, which is not ideal.
Now, the pass rush faces a larger test with Burns done for the year. Carter is still set to get a bulk of reps, but now Thibodeaux will be a starter along the defensive line moving forward. It is entirely possible that Arvell Reese could be unleashed as a pass rusher on more plays. Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson will have his work cut out for him.
Harbaugh was brought in to help the Giants win games, regardless of circumstances. But now, his job got even more difficult with Burns done for the season.
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