Plaxico Burress Contract Extended Through 2012

By the New York Giants
Posted Thursday, September 4, 2008

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Giants picked up their first score of the season three hours before tonight’s kickoff.

Plaxico Burress, the team’s leading receiver and one its most valuable players, signed a two-year contract extension prior to the Giants’ game against the Washington Redskins. Burress, who had three years remaining on the original Giants pact he signed in 2005, is now under contract through 2012.

The two sides had been negotiating the contract for several months.

“We always remained hopeful that it would get done before the season started,” general manager Jerry Reese said. “It came down to the last few minutes and we’re happy to get it done so we can move forward in our season. Plax is happy to get the contract done as well. It took a little longer than we expected it to take, but Plax was professional about it the whole time. We’re excited and happy that it’s over and we’re ready to move forward into this new season.”

In 2007, Burress led the Giants with 70 receptions for 1,025 yards and a career-high 12 touchdowns, despite being unable to practice virtually the entire season because of a sprained ankle. In the postseason, he added 18 catches (including a Giants-record 11 in the NFC Championship Game) for 221 yards and the game-winning 13-yard touchdown in Super Bowl XLII.

In his first three years with the Giants, Burress caught 209 passes for 3,227 yards and 29 touchdowns. Every one of those scores was thrown by Eli Manning, making them the most prolific quarterback-receiver tandem in the NFL last season in terms of touchdowns.

Burress tonight begins his ninth NFL season. He spent five years with the Pittsburgh Steelers before joining the Giants.

“Plax has been an outstanding player for us,” Reese said. “We basically kind of approached each other about this contract. We felt like something should be done with the contract. We put our heads together and made it make sense for him and made it make sense for the New York Giants as well.

“He is a big-play threat for us on the field. Plax opens things up for other people and he obviously can make big plays himself. Eli has all of his weapons intact and we expect them to pick up where they left off last season.”