The New York Giants made their decision, and Plaxico Burress is done for the season.
The Giants fined and suspended Burress for four games on Tuesday, four days after he accidentally shot himself in the right thigh at a Manhattan nightclub. He was officially placed on the reserve non-football injury list, which restricts him from practicing or returning to the teams's active roster for the remainder of the season -- including the playoffs.
The Giants announced the fine and suspension shortly before 6 p.m. ET, stating that Burress had met individually with Giants president John Mara, general manager Jerry Reese and head coach Tom Coughlin on Tuesday.
Even as they suspended him for conduct detrimental to the team, Giants officials expressed concern for Burress.
"As we have said since Saturday morning, our concern is for Plaxico's health and well-being," Mara said. "This is an important time for him to take care of his body and heal up and also deal with the very serious legal consequences and other issues in his life. When I spoke with Plaxico he expressed great remorse for letting down his teammates."
Burress, who posted $100,000 bail on Monday, was charged on two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, which could result in a prison sentence of 3 1/2 to 15 years, if convicted. Burress is due back in court again on March 31, unless he reaches a plea agreement.
Burress reported to the Giants earlier Tuesday, arriving at Giants Stadium at approximately 9:30 a.m. ET to undergo treatment for his strained hamstring and gunshot wound. He later traveled into Manhattan for an MRI exam and an examination by a Giants team physician.
Burress retuned to the stadium at approximately 3:15 p.m., at which point he was informed by Reese that he had been placed on reserve/injury list and suspended for conduct detrimental to the team.
Neither Burress nor his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, was immediately available for comment.
Dr. Scott Rodeo, a team physician, examined Burress and told the Giants that the gunshot wound would have sidelined the 31-year-old player for 4-to-6 weeks anyway.
"The decision we made today regarding Plaxico's roster status was based on the examination of Plaxico by our team physician," Reese said. "Dr. Rodeo believes Plaxico would be out at least four to six weeks with the gunshot wound. I had two conversations with Plaxico today, and it was obvious that he understood the magnitude of this situation. He knows that we are here to support him and help him get healthy."
"I had two conversations with Plaxico today, and it was obvious that he understood the magnitude of this situation," Reese said Tuesday. "He knows that we are here to support him and help him get healthy."
This is the second time the Giants have suspended the troubled receiver this season. He missed the Oct. 2 game against Seattle for missing a team meeting. He also has been fined dozens of times since 2005 for violating team rules, and he was hit with a $45,000 fine by the league this season for abusing an official and throwing a ball into the stands during a game.
Fines in the NFL typically mean a player loses a paycheck for each game he misses. In Burress' case, that would mean roughly $206,000 per regular season game. He also was due to receive $1 million from his signing bonus on Dec. 10. It was not immediately clear whether the team still had to make the payment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
