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The Giants are discussing a potential return to New York with their former wide receiver Plaxico Burress, according to team sources.
The Giants want to see where Burress is at mentally before they would make any moves, the sources said.
Burress, who will turn 34 in August, was released from prison in June after serving a nearly two-year sentence on a weapons possession charge. In an interview in June with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, Burress expressed doubt that he could co-exist once again with Giants coach Tom Coughlin.
However, according to multiple media reports, Coughlin has told general manager Jerry Reese that he is willing to sit down and talk with Burress.
On Monday, Giants co-owner John Mara appeared on "The Michael Kay Show" on ESPN 1050 in New York and acknowleged the team has raised the possibility of a Burress return.
"I think that's certainly something we're going to talk about and have talked about," Mara said. "Where that goes, I don't know."
The 33-year-old receiver has said he will be mentored by Magic Johnson and Tony Dungy. He is a volunteer at National Urban League youth programs and has said he'll try to recruit other pro athletes to the program. He also has said he will work with the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and will speak out for gun control.
Burress caught the winning touchdown in the 2008 Super Bowl as the Giants stunned the Patriots, dealing New England its only loss that season. Nine months later, his unlicensed handgun accidentally went off in a Manhattan nightclub, striking his thigh. The gun was not licensed in New York or in New Jersey, where Burress lived. His license to carry a concealed weapon in Florida had expired in May 2008.
Burress is on parole for two years. He has to get and keep a job, undergo substance abuse testing, obey any curfew established by his Florida parole officer, support his family and undergo any anger counseling or other conditions required by his parole officer.
In the in-depth, one-hour interview with Smith earlier this month, Burress discussed his difficult relationship with Coughlin.
"My situation in New York, me and my coach had an ambivalent relationship to say the least," Burress said at the National Urban League headquarters where he held a press conference to promote gun safety. "Some things that I didn't agree with, with the way he went about things. And the only way to show my way was to just rebel. Is that who I am? No."
"That was one of the biggest problems when I left Pittsburgh when I came here," Burress continued. "I had a relationship with Bill Cowher inside of football and outside of football. He always had an open-door policy to where you could come talk to him or tell him what was on your mind. When that was taken away from me, I kind of felt it was like: I'm the coach, you are the player. It doesn't matter what you have to say. You just do what I tell you to do."
"This is not college," he added. "This is professional sports. If you can't sit down and go talk to a man that you are busting your tail for, not even have the respect for anything that you have to say, like I said, the only thing I knew then was to rebel."
Selected eighth overall in the 2000 draft, he has 505 receptions for 7,845 yards and 55 touchdowns in nine seasons.
The Giants made a set of other moves on Tuesday, as sources confirmed the team will release longtime fixtures Shaun O'Hara and Rich Seubert. They might also cut tackle Shawn Andrews, who tweeted that he and the team failed to rework his contract.
The Giants also agreed to terms with versatile backup Kevin Boothe, according to sources.
Source: AP
The Giants want to see where Burress is at mentally before they would make any moves, the sources said.
Burress, who will turn 34 in August, was released from prison in June after serving a nearly two-year sentence on a weapons possession charge. In an interview in June with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, Burress expressed doubt that he could co-exist once again with Giants coach Tom Coughlin.
However, according to multiple media reports, Coughlin has told general manager Jerry Reese that he is willing to sit down and talk with Burress.
On Monday, Giants co-owner John Mara appeared on "The Michael Kay Show" on ESPN 1050 in New York and acknowleged the team has raised the possibility of a Burress return.
"I think that's certainly something we're going to talk about and have talked about," Mara said. "Where that goes, I don't know."
The 33-year-old receiver has said he will be mentored by Magic Johnson and Tony Dungy. He is a volunteer at National Urban League youth programs and has said he'll try to recruit other pro athletes to the program. He also has said he will work with the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and will speak out for gun control.
Burress caught the winning touchdown in the 2008 Super Bowl as the Giants stunned the Patriots, dealing New England its only loss that season. Nine months later, his unlicensed handgun accidentally went off in a Manhattan nightclub, striking his thigh. The gun was not licensed in New York or in New Jersey, where Burress lived. His license to carry a concealed weapon in Florida had expired in May 2008.
Burress is on parole for two years. He has to get and keep a job, undergo substance abuse testing, obey any curfew established by his Florida parole officer, support his family and undergo any anger counseling or other conditions required by his parole officer.
In the in-depth, one-hour interview with Smith earlier this month, Burress discussed his difficult relationship with Coughlin.
"My situation in New York, me and my coach had an ambivalent relationship to say the least," Burress said at the National Urban League headquarters where he held a press conference to promote gun safety. "Some things that I didn't agree with, with the way he went about things. And the only way to show my way was to just rebel. Is that who I am? No."
"That was one of the biggest problems when I left Pittsburgh when I came here," Burress continued. "I had a relationship with Bill Cowher inside of football and outside of football. He always had an open-door policy to where you could come talk to him or tell him what was on your mind. When that was taken away from me, I kind of felt it was like: I'm the coach, you are the player. It doesn't matter what you have to say. You just do what I tell you to do."
"This is not college," he added. "This is professional sports. If you can't sit down and go talk to a man that you are busting your tail for, not even have the respect for anything that you have to say, like I said, the only thing I knew then was to rebel."
Selected eighth overall in the 2000 draft, he has 505 receptions for 7,845 yards and 55 touchdowns in nine seasons.
The Giants made a set of other moves on Tuesday, as sources confirmed the team will release longtime fixtures Shaun O'Hara and Rich Seubert. They might also cut tackle Shawn Andrews, who tweeted that he and the team failed to rework his contract.
The Giants also agreed to terms with versatile backup Kevin Boothe, according to sources.
Source: AP