NFL: New York Jets' Plaxico Burress Rips Giants Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning

Any Giants fans holding out hope that wide receiver Plaxico Burress could someday make a return to Big Blue territory should stop hoping now.  

NJ.com posted excerpts from Burress' recent interview in The Men's Journal, and he didn't pull any punches when talking about his former head coach and quarterback.

First speaking on Tom Coughlin, Burress said:

"After my situation happened, I turned on the TV, and the first words out his mouth was 'sad and disappointing,'" Burress said.  The wide out seemed even more upset by what transpired next.

"I'm like, forget support—how about some concern? I did just have a bullet in my leg. And then I sat in his office, and he pushed back his chair and goes, 'I'm glad you didn't kill anybody!'  

"Man, we're paid too much to be treated like kids. He doesn't realize that we're grown men and actually have kids of our own." 

Interestingly, the interview took place in June, before Burress signed with the New York Jets. Rumors indicated that there was a very real chance he could sign with one of his former teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers or the New York Giants.  

Gang Green never even seemed to be in the running, as far as fans and analysts were concerned.  

However, it is no surprise that Plax complimented Rex Ryan in this interview, long before he put on a green and white jersey.  To say the least, Burress was never a fan of Coughlin's hard-nosed, no-nonsense approach to the game.

"(Coughlin's) not a real positive coach," Burress stated. "You look around the league, the Raheem Morrises and Rex Ryans—when their player makes a mistake, they take 'em to the side and say, 'We'll get 'em next time.'

"But Coughlin's on the sideline going crazy, man. I can't remember one time when he tried to talk a player through not having a day he was having."

Reports that Burress and Coughlin never got along were commonplace, but a lot of fans probably did not think that the highly regarded wide out felt as strongly as he does.

As far as Eli Manning goes, Plax was offended that the Giants' franchise quarterback did not reach out to him once during his 20-month prison sentence.

"I was always his biggest supporter, even days he wasn't on, 'cause I could sense he didn't have thick skin," Burress said.

"Then I went away, and I thought he would come see me, but nothing, not a letter, in two years. I don't want to say it was a slap in the face, but I thought our relationship was better than that." 

Apparently, Manning never felt that close to Burress, as he never voiced his support for Plax when the Giants showed interest in signing him for the 2011 season.  

As a matter of fact, Eli remained basically silent on the matter when Burress remained a free agent this offseason.  

A bit surprising considering Burress was Manning's most reliable target in 2007, the year the Giants won the Super Bowl, when Burress notched 1,025 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in the regular season.

Plax, obviously not shy about voicing his opinion, then even took a parting shot at the fans who did not support him along the way.

"What are you doing now? You still mad at your job? You still angry about your life? 'Cause I’m back living my life and enjoying my family while you’re still doing the same thing."

Burress plays his first NFL game since 2008 when the Jets take on the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium.  The game will be 2011's first edition of Sunday Night Football.