Plaxico Burress Injured in Shooting

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N.Y. Giants receiver Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the right thigh yesterday evening and spent the night in a New York City hospital as a result. Thankfully, the injury was not life-threatening, but that good news only opens the door to what could be a lot of bad news for Plax and the Giants. Not that there hasn’t been enough of it already.

Obviously, it’s been a tumultuous season for Plax. Take a look at his lowlights since catching the winning score in the Super Bowl back in February:

• He skipped offseason workouts and a minicamp over a contract dispute.
• October 5, he was suspended one game for a violation of team rules.
• October 19, he verbally abused officials and was fined $45,000.
• October 26, he was fined and benched for missing treatment for an injury.

This latest incident increases the frustration for an organization that embodies the “team first” concept. And Plax clearly doesn’t get what this concept is all about. The Giants have managed a league-best 10-1 record largely without his services (35 catches and four TDs), so the thought of giving him his walking papers has to be a viable — and money saving — option. The distractions he brings to a team that is very much a favorite to repeat as Super Bowl champions has to be nearly intolerable.

Plax is already forfeiting a $100,000 bonus for every game he misses. He is listed as out for tomorrow’s game against the Redksins with a hamstring injury, so this doesn’t change anything for that game. But it will most likely force him to miss more time and cost him more money — a lot more money — as the legal process unfolds.

What could unfold is an eventual suspension if Plax is ruled to have violated the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy. I wonder what he was doing with a gun in the first place? Was it his gun? Was he licensed to have it? And what was he doing with it out in public, presumably at an NYC night club? New York has some of the toughest gun control laws in the country so it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Many questions remain until the police get to the bottom of exactly what happened last night. But the Giants have to start thinking about life without Palxico Burress. It might give them their best chance to win the Super Bowl again.

Source: NFL.com, Photo: Newscom