Will Plaxico Burress Ever Play in the NFL Again?

Plaxico Burress today pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to a two year prison term. This is actually very good news for Burress the human being who should be able to work towards a final resolution regarding this, but what does it mean to Plaxico the player?

A lot of stuff has already been written and said comparing Plaxico’s situation with that of Michael Vick who just signed a two year deal, with the first year guaranteed, to play for the Philadelphia Eagles. At first, the comparisons seem obvious as both Vick and Burress committed stupid criminal acts that led to jail time, but in reality it’s impossible to compare Vick’s situation after serving his time to what Plaxico will face after serving his time.

Burress, no doubt, will leave jail with the same attitude that Vick left jail. Expect statements like, “What I did was stupid. I’ve learned my lesson,” and “From now on, I work against the gun lobby when I’m not wearing a football helmet.”

That won’t be the issue. Plaxico probably already feels stupid for doing what he did. The issue is one of straight-up physical ability, whether or not Burress will have it when he gets out of jail, and whether or not his ability, even if it is still there, will be needed by an NFL team.

Join BetUS Sportsbook Today!

There are two reasons why Michael Vick found a job so quickly after leaving jail. The first is his age. Vick has just turned 29. Although that makes him middle-aged in terms of the NFL, he’s still young enough to do a lot, if not all, of the things he did when he was 25 years old. The second reason Michael got a job so quickly is because of the position he plays in the NFL. Vick is a quarterback. Quarterbacks who have proven to show effectiveness in the NFL are hard to come by. Vick has had success as a quarterback in the NFL. That type of experience is invaluable.

Now, take a look at Plaxico’s situation. He will turn 34 in August of 2011 and will be released, unless he’s released early, in September of 2011. The ages of 30 for most athletes in almost every sport save for golf is the imaginary cut off line. In other words, a human’s physical abilities begin to rapidly decrease onward from the age of 30.

Second, Plaxico is a wide receiver. Although nobody doubts that a fantastic wide receiver is hard to find, it is much easier to find a mid-level wide receiver than it is to find a back-up or mid-level quarterback. Think about it this way:

Today, Plaxico is a stud at wide receiver, but is he a top-flight wide receiver? Even if he is, will he be a top-flight wide receiver at the age of 34? Probably not. So, why would teams want to give Plaxico a shot when there are so many mid-level wide receivers out there that can do exactly what he can do?

Because of the position he plays, Michael Vick is a unique talent. Because of the position he plays, Plaxico Burress isn’t a unique talent all.

By the time Plaxico is released from prison, it just won’t matter any more. Every team in the NFL will already have between 4 to 6 guys on their active roster that can do exactly what he can do.