Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Making The Call: Cut Him
By
Peter Trinkle
Published Nov 30, 2008
Modified Nov 30, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Peter Trinkle
Published Nov 30, 2008
Modified Nov 30, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Plaxico Burress is one of the biggest reasons the Giants won the Super Bowl and is one of the best receivers in the NFL. But his antics off the field are no longer worth the trouble. After last season’s Super Bowl victory, the Giants rewarded Burress with a 5-year/$35 million deal and since contracts in the NFL are not guaranteed, they can choose to terminate that deal at any time. That time should come now.
It’s not just the latest incident where he shot himself in the leg; it’s the total package. Since being giving a huge contract, Burress has done nothing but become a distraction for a team trying to repeat as Super Bowl champs. He has missed meetings, been suspended and generally shown that he doesn’t care about his teammates. Why he was in a nightclub less than 48 hours before a game that he was already going to miss with an injured hamstring is a question we will probably never learn the answer to.
Are the Giants a better team with Plaxico in the lineup? Absolutely, but that doesn’t mean they can’t win without him. Plaxico probably didn’t notice, but the Giants won a Super Bowl after Tiki Barber retired and are currently 10-1 after trading Jeremy Shockey. Fifty-two players on the Giants have embraced the “team first” concept of Tom Coughlin. Burress hasn't, and the Giants shouldn’t let him stick around and be a distraction any longer.
The Knicks would love to have the ability to terminate Stephon Marbury’s deal, but they can’t without paying him. The Giants can and they should. Take the money and use it to keep guys like Brandon Jacobs and Derek Ward, players who want to be here and care about the team winning.
Tagged
brandon jacobs
derek ward
football
giants
Making The Call
plaxico burress
sports
tom coughlin
Peter Trinkle
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NY measles spread prompts 'disaster' emergency. It didn't have to be this way, health commissioner says.
The state health commissioner says the disease outbreak is wholly preventable.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
Published Oct 12, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. ET
NYC wants to move deliveries onto the waterways. It's starting with a 55-year-old boat.
The city's "blue highways" program aims to get freight out of trucks and onto the waterways.
By
Liam Quigley
News
NYC wants to move deliveries onto the waterways. It's starting with a 55-year-old boat.
The city's "blue highways" program aims to get freight out of trucks and onto the waterways.
By
Liam Quigley
Inside the luxury Greenpoint high-rise powered by a rumbling generator for over a month
By
David Brand
Mayor Mamdani orders review of NYPD use of force policies
By
Michael Sol Warren
Company that won $23M NYPD building contract was investigated by LI watchdog
By
Ben Feuerherd
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .