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Brian Burns' Knee Injury Worse Than Feared for Giants
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- Brian Burns' Knee Injury Worse Than Feared for Giants
Brian Burns ' knee injury is worse than was initially feared.
The New York Giants edge rusher also tore his meniscus, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, complicating his recovery timeline.
Burns sustained the season-ending injuries in the fourth quarter of the Giants ' 12-7 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. He crumpled to the ground, writhing in pain, after being blocked awkwardly by former Giants teammate Austin Schlottmann .
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The star edge rusher is reportedly scheduled to undergo knee surgery Thursday and faces a recovery timeline of 9-to-12 months.
Brian Burns Also Sustained a Torn Meniscus vs. Tennessee
Giants coach John Harbaugh expressed some hope after Sunday's win, but the news only got worse.
The torn meniscus alone could have been enough to end Burns' season, but that in addition to the initially diagnosed torn ACL will complicate his recovery.
Burns had entered the game nursing a low ankle sprain and was questionable to even play against the Titans. But Burns was also 36-for-36 in starting games as a member of the Giants, a streak that ended when Kayvon Thibodeaux started ahead of him Sunday.
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Burns was a second-team All-Pro in 2025, when he set a single-season career high with 16.5 sacks. He finished second in the NFL in sacks behind only Myles Garrett last season but does not have a sack in three games this year.
Look at Malik Nabers ' Recovery Window for Guidance
The additional knee injury may complicate Burns' recovery, but he was going to miss the rest of the 2026 NFL season anyway.
So if you want to find a comparable recovery window for Burns, look no further than that of Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers . Nabers also tore his ACL and meniscus, coincidentally also at MetLife Stadium in the last weekend of September, 2025 in the Giants' Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Chargers .
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Nabers has had difficulty getting up to speed with Jameis Winston as the Giants' starting quarterback through Winston's seven quarters as the starter. But he had no issue getting on the practice field for training camp or Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys , even though Nabers had a setback in his recover during the spring.
So the additional meniscus tear, while unfortunate for Burns, will only add to his offseason recovery time. But using Nabers as an example, Burns should be able to get back on the field in time for the 2027 season.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Oct 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
