Notebook: Brian Burns set to face former team

Nov 07, 2024 at 09:33 AM

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Brian Burns is adhering to the long-time professional athletes' custom by insisting that a game against his former team is just another day at the office.

That team is the Carolina Panthers, for whom he played five seasons before being traded to the Giants on March 13. The teams meet Sunday in Munich, Germany.

"Business is business," Burns said. "Business happened. I'm happy where I am. I'm blessed."

Does the game carry special meaning or different emotions than any other?

"No, sir," he said. Moments later, he said, "Personally, I have my own thoughts about it. But I'm not going to make it any bigger than what the line and everything's going to be about it. It's just another game to me. I'm going to prepare the same way and plan to get a win in Germany."

He contends the game is no different even though the Panthers selected him in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. That he recorded 46.0 sacks in a Carolina uniform – at least 7.5 sacks every season - and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2021 and 2022. That he still speaks to several former teammates and wished the game hadn't been moved from Charlotte to Europe. And the fact that he expected to be a Panther his entire career.

"Yeah, I did," he said. "I did."

But the Panthers are in rebuild mode and dealt Burns to the Giants for a second-round draft choice this year and a fifth rounder in 2025, plus a swap of 2024 fifth rounders.

Burns said he did ask to be traded. But he wasn't shocked when he was.

"Surprise? I wouldn't say a surprise," Burns said. "I would say you could kind of feel the direction it was going in. But no. Just to answer your question, I didn't ask for a trade."

This season, he has started every game and is third on the team with 5.0 sacks. And second with 11 quarterback hits.

"He's been a good addition for us," coach Brian Daboll said. "Good leadership, good player for us. Glad we got him."

As is Burns.

"Going into a new situation, you always want to look on the positive side of things," Burns said. "But football is football, and this is how it goes, sometimes it's how the cards fold. But overall, it's still a blessed opportunity and a blessed position I'm in."

The group of former teammates he speaks to includes (linebacker) Shaq (Thompson, currently on injured reserve), (cornerback) Jaycee (Horn), (defensive end) Yetur (Gross-Matos, now with San Francisco), and (linebacker Frankie) Luvu, now with Washington. I talk to all of my guys every now and then outside of football."

Any trash talk going on?

"Nah, we don't even really talk about football, honestly," Burns said. "I respect those people in that (Carolina) building, that organization. Like I said, I'm blessed. There isn't really too much to speak on. I'm happy where I am now and I'm just trying to make this team win."

Burns was asked how he's grown since leaving North Carolina and moving to New Jersey.

"I'd say, maybe from a holistic view," he said. "I kind of took on a different role coming here from when I was in Carolina. So just being able to adapt, I would say, is improvement.

"Coming from a place you were drafted; you work to become that guy and that leader of that defense to coming into a situation that has that guy or has other leaders already established. It's a different role and a different avenue you have to take to prove yourself. I feel like I did that, and I was able to adapt."

He intends to show that Sunday to his former team, while asserting the game carries no special emotion for him.

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