“Some guys, you know, gotta touch the stove to get burned, to learn the lesson,” Burns said to northjersey.com‘s Art Stapleton. “Some guys get it right away. Either way, at the end of the day, we’ve got great guys in our building. We’ll see how it goes, but yeah, I’m real glad [Reese] is on the team.“

The transition from college football to the NFL can be very challenging. If he adapts quickly, Reese could potentially become a player to watch on the Giants’ defense.

Will Arvell Reese be a starter for the Giants?

With the Giants embracing a “position-less” defensive philosophy under John Harbaugh, rookie Arvell Reese is poised to be a Day 1 impact player. Although he shares the field with established stars like Burns, Tremaine Edmunds, and the high-upside Abdul Carter, Harbaugh’s vision for Reese involves utilizing his elite 4.46 speed and 241-pound frame as a versatile chess piece.

While he is expected to line up primarily as an off-ball WILL linebacker next to Edmunds, his history at Ohio State—where he split over 600 snaps between the edge and the interior—suggests he will frequently rotate into pass-rushing packages alongside Burns and Carter.

Burns becomes the leader of this defense

Dexter Lawrence’s departure weeks ago left the Giants without one of their main defensive leaders. Now, it will be Brian Burns who steps up as the voice of command, being one of the most experienced players on this defensive front for John Harbaugh.

Tremaine Edmunds arrived this past offseason from the Chicago Bears, while Abdul Carter will enter his second season as a professional player, and Arvell Reese will be making his first steps in the NFL.

“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.’’

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.

The Carolina Panthers have one of the best pass rushers in the league with Brian Burns, but his future on the team is far from secure. Burns is currently playing under the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, so an extension should probably have been done by now for the fans to not worry about his standout player’s status.

Burns himself provided an update on a potential extension, saying he has decided to put contract negotiations “on hold”. “We haven’t really been in talks. I told them once the season started, I’m all about ball. I can’t give a thousand percent on the field and to my teammates if I’m still worried about contract negotiations.”

For the outside linebacker holding out was a possibility, just like Nick Bosa did before getting a mark-setting contract extension with the San Francisco 49ers. However, he preferred to stay with the team because he sees something special about the defense. Burns then added “My main thought is just football.”

Brian Burns’ Contract

Just because the player decided not to be a bit more vocal about his contract extension, doesn’t mean that he appears to be underpaid this season. Despite being a consistent defender creating pressure on opposing quarterbacks, Burns is set to earn only $16 million in 2023.

The Panthers losing to the Atlanta Falcons in their season opener demonstrated that they still need to grow as a team. However, Burns was impactful, recording two sacks. If he continues his current trajectory for the rest of the year, he should be in line for a megadeal.

Bosa is the highest-paid defender after his recent agreement. His deal for five seasons puts him at the top with an annual average salary of $34 million. Even if Burns is not going to reach that figure, he may end up making nearly twice his current figure.

How Old Is Brian Burns?

Brian Burns is 25 years old.