Brian Burns (American football)

Brian Burns (born April 23, 1998) is an American football linebacker for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida State and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft.

Early life
Burns attended American Heritage School, where he played high school football. Over his junior and senior seasons, he had 135 tackles and 28 sacks combined and helped his team win state titles. Burns played in the 2016 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He committed to Florida State University to play college football.

College career
As a freshman at Florida State in 2016, Burns played in all 13 games and led all freshman in the country with 8.5 sacks. As a sophomore in 2017, he started all 13 games and had 48 tackles and 4.5 sacks. As a junior in 2018, Burns started all 12 games, recording 52 tackles and 10 sacks. After the season, Burns decided to forgo his senior year and enter the 2019 NFL draft.

Carolina Panthers
Burns was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the first round with the 16th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. In Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Burns recorded a sack on Gardner Minshew and returned a forced fumble for a touchdown in the 34–27 win. As a rookie, he appeared in 16 games and started five. He finished with 7.5 sacks, 25 total tackles, and one forced fumble.

In Week 3 of the 2020 season against the Los Angeles Chargers, Burns recorded his first sack of the season on Justin Herbert, a strip sack that was recovered by the Panthers, during the 21–16 win. In Week 7 against the New Orleans Saints, Burns recorded a strip sack on Drew Brees that was recovered by the Panthers during the 27–24 loss. In Week 11 against the Detroit Lions, Burns recorded two sacks on Matthew Stafford during a shutout win and was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week. He appeared in 15 games and started 14 in the 2020 season. He finished with nine sacks, 58 total tackles, four passes defended, and three forced fumbles.

On December 27, 2021, Burns was placed on the Panthers COVID-19 reserve list. In the 2021 season, he appeared in all 17 games and started 16. He finished with nine sacks, 50 total tackles, four passes defended, and two forced fumbles. He earned Pro Bowl honors for the 2021 season. He was ranked 76th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2022.

The Panthers picked up the fifth-year option on Burns's contract on April 26, 2022. In Week 12 against the Denver Broncos, Burns had two sacks on Russell Wilson, a forced fumble, and one pass deflection, earning him NFC Defensive Player of The Week. He finished the 2022 season with 12.5 sacks, 63 total tackles, three passes defended, and one forced fumble in 16 games and starts. He earned Pro Bowl honors for the 2022 season. He was ranked 54th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2023.

Burns opened the 2023 season at Atlanta with seven tackles and two sacks. It marked his third career multi-sack game. He moved up the Panthers all-time sack list in Week 5 at Detroit, making his 42nd career sack and passing Kevin Greene for fifth all-time in Panthers history.

On March 5, 2024, the Panthers placed the franchise tag on Burns.

New York Giants
On March 13, 2024, the Panthers traded Burns with the San Francisco 49ers' 2024 fifth-round pick to the New York Giants in exchange for second-round and fifth-round picks in the 2024 NFL draft. The Giants then signed Burns to a five-year, $141 million contract with $87.5 million guaranteed.

Personal life
Burns's older brother, Stanley McClover, was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL draft. He is a fan of the Marvel character Spider-Man.