Plaxico Burress: Troubled WR Will Reward Jets' Faith This Season

There was so much doubt surrounding New York Jets receiver Plaxico Burress this offseason.

He's too old. He's been out of the game for so long. He's a downgrade to Braylon Edwards. He has character issues.

What everyone forgot was that Burress formed one of the greatest receiver-quarterback tandems in NFL history with Eli Manning when he was with the New York Giants. He was part of a group that defeated a New England Patriots team that was deemed unbeatable in Super Bowl XLII. Before this season, he had 505 career receptions for 7,845 yards and 55 receiving touchdowns in nine seasons.

Burress was one of the best receivers in the game before his two-year prison term.

I understand why people are hesitant. Burress is 34 years old and already has had some nagging injuries this season.

But have we forgotten about such players as Randy Moss and Terrell Owens, who excelled on the field in their mid-30s? Where Burress differs from most 30-year-old receivers, and compares to Moss and Owens, is that he's always been one of the most athletic and electric receivers in the game. Athletic, electric receivers tend to stick around for a little while longer, and they do surprisingly well along the way.

I'm not saying Burress is Moss or Owens. What I am saying is he compares in that he can still be very productive at an older age, as long as he stays healthy.

In the Jets' battle in New York with the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Burress became a pivotal part of a comeback by the Jets, catching a 26-yard touchdown pass from Mark Sanchez in the fourth quarter that put the Jets within seven points of the Cowboys—seven points they would later score.

Can Burress follow in Michael Vick's footsteps?

By the look of things, he already is.