Carolina still going through Brian Burns' mind with Giants

Every great leader once was a follower.    Brian Burns  had great examples in Carolina.

When he was drafted in 2019, Burns joined a defense with Luke Kuechly and Gerald McCoy. Kuechly, in his final season, became a mentor for Burns at the linebacker position.

But Burns also studied another teammate — on offense. It was running back  Christian McCaffrey,  who was entering his third season when Burns arrived.

“Christian was one of the guys I looked up to as far as when I first got into the league,” Burns told Newsday. “Just how I wanted to develop and how I wanted to go about my business. He did it completely different than how I do it now, but he was one of the guys that I tried to learn from.”

When the Giants host the 49ers on Sunday, it will be the first time Burns and McCaffrey meet as opponents They spent part of four seasons together with the Panthers from 2019-22 before McCaffrey was traded at midseason to San Francisco.

The lessons Burns learned from McCaffrey have stayed with him as one of the Giants’ captains.

He saw that McCaffrey had a level of intensity that was different from most players and observed that his practice habits carried over to games.

In practices, McCaffrey would break off a long run, jog back to the huddle and do it again. There was no drop-off after a successful snap. Just focus, repeat and do that every day.

“He wasn’t a guy that was ever really late and he never came in with a lot of mood swings,” Burns said. “He was basically the same guy every day. And I think that’s important when you’re in this business because it’s a long season, and guys, especially in the role he was in in Carolina, are depending on you to get your head on straight.”

The Panthers went 15-34 during Burns’ and McCaffrey’s first three seasons. The losing may have taken a toll, but McCaffrey didn’t show it as he kept spirits high.

Burns — who has 10 sacks, tied with Browns defensive end Myles Garrett for the NFL lead — has had to do the same thing with the Giants. He has been a part of only five wins since arriving via trade in March 2024, but has been a model of consistency, whether it’s not missing a game in two seasons or playing at an All-Pro level this season.

Burns has three multi-sack games this season and a string of eight games with at least one tackle for loss. But as the Giants’ losses mount, it’s challenging for him to stay upbeat. Yet Burns learned from McCaffrey early on why it matters to be that way as one of the team’s best players.

“Sometimes I lack it, but for the most part, I try to be the same guy every day and try to exude that positivity and charisma,” Burns said. “Because I know it can affect other people, it could affect my room and it can affect the defense. It can really affect somebody that I don’t even know I’m affecting. So I’d just rather be positive, in the moment, rather than a cancer.”

That attitude, along with his performance, has left a mark on Burns’ teammates and coaches. They respect his professionalism and output.

“I’ve complimented him every day. I love your approach on this year,” defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches said. “I love your attention to detail. I love how much you’re putting into your craft. You are seeing it in every rep. Every rep he wanted to win. Every rep he wanted to dominate.”

Another shared trait with Burns and McCaffrey? Finding success out of Carolina. McCaffrey was AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2023 and helped the 49ers reach the Super Bowl.

Burns noted how successful other ex-teammates have been with other teams such as Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and Hassan Reddick.

“I still miss playing with all those guys,” Burns said. “We still talk to this day, but it’s just good to see they were able to still succeed even though things didn’t go through with Carolina.”

That includes McCaffrey, whom Burns will be eager to see Sunday. The lessons learned as teammates have paid off with Burns’ play on the field and the respect he earns in the Giants’ locker room.

Seeing McCaffrey also might prompt Burns to change his pregame routine.

“I know he goes out [to the field] for pregame,” Burns said. “I don’t really go out for pregame, but I might go out there this week to chop it up.”

By Evan Barnes

evan.barnes@newsday.comevan_b

Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.