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 ESPN.com is reporting that the New York Giants released wide receiver Plaxico Burress on Friday, four months after the troubled star accidentally shot himself in the thigh in a New York City night club.
The 31-year-old is facing a possible 3½ years in prison as a result of the incident in which he was carrying an unregistered hand gun, a felony in New York. Burress' attorneys and prosecutors are hammering out a potential plea deal, and the delay in ending the court case this week appeared to play a role in the Giants' decision to release him. Burress was fined and suspended by the Giants for the final four weeks of the 2008 season for conduct detrimental to the team after the shooting, and faces possible sanctions from the NFL for violating its personal conduct policy as well. According to sources, it had become clear in January that Burress wanted out of New York when agent Drew Rosenhaus sent an e-mail to the rest of the league saying Burress was on the trading block. The team signed Burress to a five-year, $35 million contract extension in September. The team failed to play a $1 million signing bonus after the November shooting and the NFL Players Association filed a grievance on the player's behalf. The grievance, which disputes whether teams can withhold guaranteed salaries and bonus money from players because of off-the-field conduct, was heard earlier this week by an arbitrator, whose ruling is expected within a week. Negotiations between the Giants and Burress on the bonus hit a snag when Burress reportedly refused to compromise on the amount he would get back. Burress wanted the total $1 million sum returned, while Rosenhaus advised him to compromise. This forced the hearing and was a contributing factor to his release by the team. Sources told ESPN last week that the Giants offered Burress an incentive-laden contract for 2009 that would have allowed him to recoup the money he lost from last season, but he turned it down, also against the advice of Rosenhaus. Burress is coming off a 2008 season in which he caught 35 passes for 454 yards and four touchdowns in the 10 games prior to the incident. For his career, his 344 catches with the Giants place him 12th on the franchise's career list, along with 3,681 receiving yards and 33 touchdown catches. He spent time with the Steelers prior to his arrival in New York. The Giants finished 12-5 last season, losing a home playoff game to the Eagles. New York lost four of its final five games without Burress, who provided the Giants with their sole deep threat.
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