Former NFL wide receiver Plaxico Burress has been to the mountaintop with the New York Giants, catching the game-winning TD in a Super Bowl. He’s also seen his fame snatched from him because of questionable personal decisions that forced him out of great situations and landed him in spaces that were impossible to enjoy.
He’s been incarcerated and he’s played for the New York Jets. Those two situations, according to Burress, were just as bad. The former lanky wide receiver compared being in jail to playing for Gang Green during an appearance on Lil Wayne’s “The Joint Venture Show.”
Plaxico Burress Tells Lil Wayne Playing For The Jets Was Like Being In Prison
Burress revisited his unfortunate 20-month prison sentence following his 2008 conviction for illegal gun possession. And he compared that experience to playing for the New York Jets.
“They’re both kind of similar because when I walked into prison on my first day, I was like, ‘Damn, man, you a f-cking loser.’ And I had the same damn feeling every day I walked through the door with the Jets,” Buress recalled.
Jets Have Longest NFL Playoff Drought, But Were In Golden Era when Plax Came
The Jets have got a bad rap in recent seasons. They currently have the longest current playoff drought in the NFL, having last seen such action in the 2010-11 season. Burress didn’t get the worst of it. He actually joined the team during its most successful era since the 60s. The Jets were led by Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan and coming off back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances. The year Plax joined the team, the Jets were considered legitimate contenders, but that season they finished 8-8 and have been chasing the postseason ever since.
Despite the Jets’ success at that time, there was a circus atmosphere surrounding Rex and Sanchez. Burress had already won Super Bowl XLII with the Giants and he was the hero. The former Michigan State star caught the game-winning touchdown pass deep in the corner to stun the undefeated New England Patriots and change the course of history. Burress was a terror that season with 70 catches for 1,025 yards and a career-high 12 receiving touchdowns.
Why Did Plaxico Burress Shoot Himself?
One fateful evening, with the Giants coming off their second Super Bowl in three seasons, Burress and star linebacker Antonio Pierce decided to attend Latin Quarter nightclub in Manhattan. In what to this day remains one of the most bizarre off the field NFL incidents, Burress brought an unlicensed .40-caliber Glock pistol and tucked it into his waistband. At some point the gun slipped down his leg and discharged, hitting his thigh. Pierce rushed Burress out of the venue and to a New York hospital. Burress narrowly escaped hitting a major artery and killing himself.
It wasn’t the end of his career , but it was the end of his time with the NY Giants, who were set up to challenge for another Super Bowl.
Fans React To Plaxico Burress Diss Of NY Jets
“Dude shot himself and is talking about losers….,” one fan said.
“He joined the 11-5 AFC Champions Runner ups but was a f*cking loser…okay buddy…,” another fan said in response to Burress’ comments.
Some fans accused Burress of click chasing because he has had a slew of financial struggles since those glory days with the Giants.
“The Jets had winning seasons in 7 of the prior 10 seasons prior to him coming, with the previous 2 including 4 playoff wins and 2 afc championships while he was in jail for shooting himself. This team is so down bad in 2026 but this is just ‘loljets’ bait,” one netizen said.
“He’s broke and trying to talk his way into a comeup,” another skeptical user commented.
Home Foreclosures & Debt Racks Up
Despite making about $30 million during a 12-year career, financial mismanagement, legal fees, and the overall impact of his 2008 accidental self-shooting and nearly two-year prison sentence drained his net worth.
In addition to financial debt, Burress endured foreclosure on multiple homes, and racked up debt as numerous civil lawsuits and debt claims complicated things. Among the debts owed was unpaid homeowners association dues, property taxes, and a $125,000 judgment from a 2008 car crash.
Pleads Guilty To Tax Evasion In 2016
With Burress’ life spiraling, he got into hot water in 2016, receiving five years of probation after pleading guilty to failing to pay $46,000 in New Jersey state income taxes from 2013, stemming from a bounced electronic funds transfer.
Desperate Liquidation of Memorabilia
Burress has since sold off some of his valuable memorabilia such as his historic 2007 Super Bowl ring at Heritage Auctions for $280,600. The game-winning football he caught was put up for auction as well.
The Jets Organization Was Much Different Than NY Giants
After serving his time and finally working his way back into the league, Burress played one season for the Jets in 2011, starting all 16 games. Burress had 45 catches for 612 yards and eight receiving touchdowns in his last productive season in the NFL before retiring in 2013.
Coming to a much more laid-back Jets team with an eccentric and sometimes wacky head coach who was different than the old school Tom Coughlin had to be a culture shock. But was it really as bad a prison?
