Why Plaxico Burress Spurned the New York Giants, Found Home with Jets

It shocked many people when wide receiver Plaxico Burress announced that he would be bringing his talents back to New York City, though not with the New York Giants, with whom he won a Super Bowl.

Instead, he chose to join the New York Jets rather than try to repeat his success with his old squad.

Burress, who spent two seasons away from the game while serving a prison term for weapons charges, had met with the Giants when searching for a team this summer. While the Giants had expressed interest in bringing the receiver back, and Burress himself thought the meetings with the team this offseason went well, he chose to take a different path and sign with the Jets.

Many think that the decision was strictly financial—the Jets offered him a one-year guaranteed contract of $3.017 million that the Giants chose not to match.

And while sources say that might in fact be the truth, it is not the entire story.

Burress, at age 34 and two-years removed from the game, was in need of a fresh start.

It would have been exciting for the Giants to re-sign their former star, but it would not represent the step forward Burress needed to convince fans and the league that he still has both talent and value.

The Jets are one of the premier teams in the NFL and are carefully crafted to be winners by head coach Rex Ryan. By admitting Plaxico into the fold, it sends a clear message that he is still a major talent deserving of being on a high-level squad.

Re-signing with the Giants would not have been a step to advance his career; with the Jets, he not only has a chance to move on from his past mistakes, but he can move forward as a football player. With the Jets, Plaxico has the opportunity to surround himself with more proven talent than he would have had he joined the Giants.

While both Giants quarterback Eli Manning and Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez each have their struggles with inconsistency, the presence of a veteran talent like Burress will only serve to improve Sanchez's game in turn. Further, the rest of the Jets offense is extremely solid; their performance makes Sanchez better than he would be with lesser players surrounding him, whereas the Giants offensive roster often makes Manning look exposed.

The level of talent on the Jets roster is certainly more impressive than that of the Giants, and that means a greater chance for not only wins, but for a run in the playoffs. That is something that cannot be said for the Giants, who, despite having won a Super Bowl in 2007, have not won a playoff game since.

However, what is most important is that Burress thinks he is in the right place by playing for the Jets. I think finding a true feeling of comfort and belonging was the highest priority for him when choosing his new team. The fact that the Jets are proven winners is just icing on the cake.