The damage in Brian Burns' right knee is more extensive than the torn ACL the New York Giants have already confirmed.
Dan Duggan of The Athletic reported on Thursday that the star outside linebacker also tore the lateral meniscus, an added injury that points to a 9-to-12-month recovery and further clouds any chance of an early return in 2027.
New York Giants star outside linebacker Brian Burns tore the lateral meniscus in his right knee, in addition to tearing his ACL, according to league and team sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the injury.
Burns is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair both injuries Thursday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.
Burns went down
in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 12-7 win over the Tennessee Titans at MetLife Stadium. He could not put weight on the right leg, punched the turf, and was helped off by teammates Aaron Stinnie and Andrew Thomas before going straight to the locker room rather than the medical tent.
Initial reporting from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter indicated a torn ACL. The Giants later confirmed that diagnosis. Head coach John Harbaugh said Burns would undergo surgery and miss the rest of the season, and the team placed him on injured reserve (IR).
The 28-year-old had entered the Titans game already compromised. He sprained his left ankle late in the previous week's loss at the Los Angeles Rams, missed every practice on the short week, and was listed as questionable before the Giants used him in a situational pass-rush role.
Burns posted a career-high 16.5 sacks in 2025 and earned second-team All-Pro honors. Through three games this season, he had yet to record a sack. His absence, which follows quarterback Jaxson Dart's season-ending knee injury, leaves more of the pass-rush load on Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
A standard ACL reconstruction often runs nine to 12 months. Repairing the lateral meniscus at the same time typically pushes the timeline toward the longer end of that range, meaning Burns' return is more likely to come during the early stages of the 2027 regular season.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Report: New York Giants' Brian Burns also suffered torn meniscus
