Dexter Lawrence’s departure from the New York Giants ended up becoming a fact ahead of the 2026 NFL season. His presence and veteran leadership gave this defense a boost in quality, and now Brian Burns will be one of its main leaders moving forward.
“That’s how I’m kinda looking at it,’’ Burns said Tuesday night via the New York Post. “It’s kind of a nod to what I’ve done and the success that I’ve had, but I don’t take that lightly at all, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity.’’
Although Burns knows he will have a more prominent leadership role in the Giants’ locker room, he is also aware that it will not be just another season without Lawrence on the roster.
“Man, I’ve been in this league long enough to understand ‘next man up’ whenever somebody leaves,’’ he said. “I was just really going to bat for my teammate. He made a decision. It already happened. We kinda got to live with it. Of course I don’t want to play without him because that’s my friend, along with he’s a great player, but we got some things out of it, and we just got to move on.’’
Brian Burns #0 of the New York Giants.
Burns takes the torch from Lawrence
Since arriving at East Rutherford from the Panthers in 2024, Brian Burns has rapidly evolved into the emotional and physical heartbeat of the Giants’ defense. Now serving as a team captain, Burns has set the standard for the Harbaugh-era grit by leading through high-motor effort—highlighted by a famous training camp pursuit that solidified his status as the unit’s vocal leader.
His 2025 campaign was nothing short of historic, as he earned Second-Team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl nod after racking up a career-high 16.5 sacks, which tied for the fourth-most in a single season in franchise history. Beyond just rushing the passer, Burns dominated the stat sheet with 67 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, and 31 quarterback hits, proving to be a relentless force that stabilizes the edge while mentoring the younger core of the rebuilding roster.
The ideal replacement for Lawrence
After requesting a trade from the franchise, the G-Men finally reached an agreement with the Cincinnati Bengals to send Dexter Lawrence to the AFC North. The dilemma from that point on would be how to replace one of the best nose tackles in the league.
Far from dwelling on the loss of one of their historic players, the Giants agreed to bring in D.J. Reader to fill that position. Why was this move important? John Harbaugh’s core principle is that his teams be as physical as possible.
Meanwhile, as the first moves from each team begin to take shape, there is excitement in New York about what is coming. New acquisitions such as the aforementioned Reader and Tremaine Edmunds, as well as the selection of young talent like Arvell Reese and Francis Mauigoa, point to an elite defense that aims to make a statement in the NFC East.
