Not even the Avengers themselves could help the New York Giants salvage their 2025 season right now. Coaching changes have proved ineffective in the past, so who is to say firing Brian Daboll will cure all?
Until a new culture is implemented, this franchise will be beyond saving. But one player is doing everything possible to be Big Blue’s superhero: outside linebacker Brian Burns, who is fully living up to his Spider-Man nickname, embodying amazing quickness and determination.
So how did the 27-year-old Burns land his moniker?
“It really came from college,” the former Florida State star told Giants fan favorite and Super Bowl hero Victor Cruz on The Players Lounge podcast.
“I {had} seen a {Vine} clip of a dude in a Spider-Man costume and he hit this pose, and it was just dope.
“So we {were} just in practice messing around and I did it, and everybody was like ‘What is he doing?’ That following week, we played Wake Forest, and I got two sacks, and on my last sack, I went ahead and just hit the pose… just goofing around. They got a picture of a fire out of it. Basically, it blew up from there.”
How did Brian Burns’ Spider-Man celebration start? 👀 pic.twitter.com/Hd52ADBIWm
— New York Giants (@Giants) November 6, 2025
Unsurprisingly, Burns’ favorite superhero growing up was Spider-Man. He certainly looks the part this year, gliding across the line of scrimmage and into the backfield week after week.
The two-time Pro Bowl selection is tied with Myles Garrett for the NFL lead in sacks (11) and he also has 31 solo tackles, 15 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, six pass breakups, and 32 total pressures.
Although New York ranks 27th in the league with 27.3 points allowed per game, Burns is definitely worthy of All-Pro and Defensive Player of the Year consideration. He is a consistently disruptive force in the trenches, establishing himself as a top-flight playmaker.
While many fans are displeased to learn that general manager Joe Schoen is still running the front office, his decision to trade for the Carolina Panthers’ 2019 first-round draft pick could be one of the reasons the Giants still employ him.
Burns was already an impactful edge rusher in his first year with the squad, but he is ascending to new heights this season. He has totaled more than half of New York’s sacks, frequently putting the defense on his back. The veteran pass-rusher is doing his best to block out the negativity surrounding this team, and he is achieving fantastic results.
One could even say he is emulating his favorite superhero. Despite finding himself in a bleak situation, Burns just keeps pushing through and performing his job at a high level.
Hopefully, number zero will maintain his excellence and enthusiasm through the end of the campaign, because Giants fans need a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, now more than ever.
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