Linebacker Brian Burns tore his ACL in the Giants’ Sunday loss to the Titans, a devastating blow that lands him on injured reserve and sidelines him for the entire 2026 season. This is a massive hit to their defense, coming way too early in the year and taking a critical edge rusher off the field for good. Talk about a gut punch for Big Blue fans.
The Edge Rush Takes a Massive Hit
The news about Burns tearing his ACL means the Giants are down another key player for the long haul. Remember how quarterback Jaxson Dart also went down with an ACL tear? He’s out for the season too. Losing two guys to the same season-ending injury, especially one on each side of the ball, is just brutal this early in the 2026 campaign. With Burns gone, the Giants are looking to Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux to step up big off the edge. Those two are now the main contributors for that crucial pass rush, and there’s a ton of pressure on them to deliver. We’ll see if they can fill those shoes, but it’s a tall order when you lose a talent like Burns.
OBJ Out, Two New Faces In for the Receiving Corps
Beyond the injury woes, the Giants also made some other big roster moves, shaking up their wide receiver room. They released Odell Beckham Jr. on Tuesday, a name that’s been around for a while. To fill those two open roster spots, they dipped into the practice squad and brought up Braxton Berrios and Charlie Jones. Berrios was already reported, but Jones is the other guy getting the call. Jones comes with some experience, having played 33 games for the Bengals over the last three seasons. He’s been primarily a return specialist, snagging three touchdowns in that role, one punt return and two kickoff returns. His offensive role was pretty limited with the Bengals, so it’s going to be interesting to see if he can expand that with the Giants.
With Burns out for the year and a reshuffled wide receiver group, the Giants are facing some serious questions right now. It’s early in the 2026 season, but losing a star defender like Burns and making these quick changes at receiver puts a ton of pressure on the guys stepping up. The team needs to find answers fast if they want to get their season back on track.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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