Plax says no practice until he's 100%

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Plax says no practice until he's 100%
Plaxico Burress said today that the window he saw to negotiate a lucrative new contract with the Giants is “long gone,” and that his only worry now is to feel 100% healthy.

And he has no plans to set foot on the practice field again until he is.

The Giants’ star receiver, who has missed every practice so far with an injured right ankle, offered no hints today of when that might be. But he made it clear he won’t be rushed or won’t be pushed. He’ll tell everyone when his ankle is ready.

“I definitely want to be out there, but Plaxico Burress has to take care of Plaxico Burress,” Burress said. “That’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to make all the right judgements as far as my health. I’ve stressed that to them. When I get out there I’m going to be running 100 miles per hour with no restrictions. That’s what I’m trying to accomplish.”

Burress said that he “could probably get out there” right now, but he wouldn’t be his “normal self.”

“That’s what I want to accomplish,” he said. “Why wouldn’t everybody want that for me? I think everybody would be a lot happier when I’m 100%. I know my quarterback would be. I don’t see why it would be a problem.”

Actually, he said the Giants haven’t been pushing him at all. However, a little subtle pressure was applied last week when Tom Coughlin and Burress sat down to discuss the schedule for the final week of camp and Coughlin expressed a desire - that he later repeated to the press - to get Burress on the field at least once before camp breaks one week from today.

Burress said he shares that desire, but was unwilling to commit to that timetable.

“I just want to get in good football shape and basically don’t put myself through the things I went through last year,” he said. “I told myself that I wasn’t going to go out and do that, because in the long run it just hurts me. I’ve got to take care of myself, and when I’m ready to go, everybody will be the first people to know it.”

Meanwhile, it appears that there will be no more negotiations on a new contract. Burress has three years and $10.5 million remaining on his current deal, but is seeking a raise to around $8-9 million per season. The two sides have never been particularly close, even though his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has come to Albany for talks three times already.

Each time he left without much progress, or a deal.

“I don’t think you guys will see him around here anymore,” Burress said. “For myself, I just want to get healthy. I’m going to go out and do the things I’m capable of doing when I get healthy. I think everybody out here will have a lot of appreciation for that when I get back on the football field.”

But does that mean the negotiations are officially over? Burress didn’t say so specifically, but he indicated that they are.

“Talking with me during the season while I’m off the field, it won’t make no difference to a guy like myself,” he said. “If they wanted to get it done, it probably would’ve been done a long time ago.”

UPDATE: Giants GM Jerry Reese said today that the Giants and Rosenhaus are still working on a new deal for Burress, and he added “I’m optimistic we’ll get something done” before the start of the regular season. … FYI, he also said that LB Jonathan Goff, who has a fractured transverse process in his lower back, is not headed for injured reserve – at least not yet – and he “has a chance” to be back for the final preseason game.

By Ralph Vacchiano on August 10, 2008 11:51 AM

The Blue Screen - NY Daily News

[Uncle B]

lol



watch how quickly he heals once his agent gets the number he wants.

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“I definitely want to be out there, but Plaxico Burress has to take care of Plaxico Burress,” Burress said.

Third person

And lord knows he needs the extra cash. He'll get what he wants or close to it most likely.