Plaxico Burress, who couldn’t find a team to sign him for the first 11 weeks of the season, is back where he started his career in Pittsburgh, thanks to some untimely injuries to the Steelers’ receiving corps.
ESPN.com reported Tuesday that the 35-year-old Burress worked out for the Steelers on Tuesday, and that the team plans on signing him. Burress had gone to Pittsburgh on Monday to take a physical for the team that drafted him in 2000. The Steelers are dealing with injuries at receiver as Antonio Brown missed the past two games with an ankle injury, and former Jet Jerricho Cotchery was hurt at the end of the Sunday night’s 13-10 loss to the Ravens. He suffered multiple rib fractures and could miss significant time.
“Plaxico is in very good physical condition, from what I saw today,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said.
Cotchery’s injury leading to Burress’ signing is somewhat ironic since Plaxico’s arrival with the Jets last season was part of the reason Cotchery left the Jets for the Steelers before last season. Burress had a decent year with the Jets with 45 catches for 612 yards and eight touchdowns, a season that started three months after he was released from jail.
Burress was the top receiver for the Giants the first time they beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl in 2008, catching the game-winning touchdown with 35 seconds left in the fourth quarter of that game. But in November of the following season, Burress shot himself in the leg in a Manhattan nightclub and was sentenced to two years in prison for criminal possession of a weapon after accepting a plea deal.
The Jets and Giants both denied any thoughts of a potential reunion this offseason. Burress had been stunned at a lack of interest around the league, but finally found a team willing to take another chance on him. He played for the Steelers from 2000-2004.
While he never played with Burress, one of the Giants’ current receivers, Victor Cruz said on WFAN Tuesday that he figured Burress would have found a team a lot earlier in the season.
“I’m just a little surprised it took so long,” Cruz said.