Maybe the Brian Burns trade wasn’t so bad after all.
The two-time Pro Bowl defender, under Thursday night’s prime-time lights, was shut out in the New York Giants’ 20-15 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. According to NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Burns generated a total of zero pressures over 25 pass-rushing attempts—marking his first career game without a pressure on at least 10 tries.
New York Giants pass rusher Brian Burns did not generate a single pressure on 25 pass rushes against the Dallas Cowboys. It was Burns' first career game without a pressure in which he had at least 10+ rushes.
Burns matched up against Cowboys OT Terence Steele on 17/25 of his… pic.twitter.com/YvUsQqZwcx
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) September 27, 2024
Burns, of course, was shipped off to New York back in March by the Carolina Panthers—who were mocked for their weak return on the deal. The Panthers—in exchange for one of the game’s top young edge rushers—received a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick while also agreeing to a 2024 fifth-round pick swap.
Plus, that deal looked a lot worse considering they reportedly had an offer of two first-round picks for Burns from the Los Angeles Rams in 2022.
But we’re already four games into the 2024 campaign, and Burns is sitting on just one sack. And the previously peeved Panthers fans don’t seem to be too peeved at the moment . . .
The Panthers not paying Brian Burns and investing that money instead into Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis was one of the best decisions this franchise has made in a LONG time.
— Not Dave Canales (@NotDaveCanales) September 27, 2024
Good luck to Brian.
Glad he got his bag.
More glad we got Robert Hunt, Dame Lewis, and more. https://t.co/n1GyhVBhWb
— Panthers Culture 🥷🏽 (@PanthersCulture) September 27, 2024
Burns has the raw talent, but these no-show games have kept him from truly reaching that top tier of edge rushers. He’s great and his big games but has way too many bad ones and doesn’t truly impact every game and basically every snap the same way Watt, Parsons, and Garrett do https://t.co/LgfKOoRUQg
— Kev (@Kdog739) September 27, 2024
I know some were very upset about Burns & swore we made a bad decision letting him go to sign Hunt/Lewis but idk mannn you prob owe Dan an apology. Lets get more sample size it’s only been 3 weeks but the returns thus far vs what Burns has (not) done in NY have been night & day https://t.co/KxDDuXM0kb
— Thomas (@ssamohht) September 27, 2024
Anyone acting like the additions of Hunt and Lewis are not more “game impacting” than Brian Burns, yea he’s decent but come on now lol
— C3_910Kyle (@phinney_kyle) September 27, 2024
Damn we fleeced the giants on the Brian Burns trade … pic.twitter.com/OM9UwrD7rf
— LilRocketNasa🚀 (@lilrocketnasa) September 27, 2024