The phone isn't ringing for Plaxico Burress.
The longtime NFL wide receiver sits at home in New Jersey, three days from the start of the regular season, with no team to call his own.
Burress is disappointed, no doubt. But this is the same man who also spent nearly two years in prison on a gun charge. This is nothing.
"I'm a human being and have been through worse," Burress told the New York Daily News on Saturday. "I've been in darker places. I'm alive, I'm home here with my family. If I don't play football again, I have a nice shiny piece of hardware to show for it. If it is over, football has been wonderful to me. If I don't play anymore, it won't be because I can't play anymore or can't get open."
Burress, 35, thought he did enough last season to keep his career alive. He caught eight touchdown passes in his lone season with the New York Jets, proving to be a capable red-zone target despite the erosion of his skills in other areas.
Burress would like to return to the Jets, despite making lukewarm comments about Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow during an appearance on ESPN in June. The Jets struggled mightily in the red zone during the preseason, scoring just one touchdown in four games. Burress is a natural fit.
"I understand they are going with young guys they want to groom and have long-term goals," Burress said. "I'm not a long-term solution. One year, maybe two. If a team needs help, I'm one of the best guys you can get off the bench to get some relief.
"I believe I will play and land somewhere and be productive. I can get off the couch and score three or four touchdowns. It's going to be great."
Though Burress was clearly a lesser player after his prison stint, it's surprising the only nibble he got was a fruitless workout with the New England Patriots. Chad Johnson, Randy Moss and Terrell Owens got their chances. Why not Burress?
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.
