Receiver Plaxico Burress joined the Jets on July 31. Before he could practice with the team, he twisted his ankle while working out on his own.
First a “tweak” and then a “classic” sprain, Burress hadn’t been able to practice until today.
On Wednesday, Burress made it onto the field. And coach Rex Ryan liked what he saw, now that Burress and Derrick Mason and Santonio Holmes were on the field at the same time.
“It looks scary,” Ryan said. “You have that group out there and then you have Dustin [Keller] at your tight end and either Shonn Greene or [LaDainian Tomlinson] in the backfield. That’s what we’ve been waiting for.”
Ryan thinks he’ll get to see Burress and the rest of the weapons in action on Sunday against the Bengals.
“Well remember last time, I don’t want to [jinx] him,” Ryan said. “I think he will play, but last time I thought he would, it was best that he didn’t. But I think he’ll be in there. Without question I think he’ll be in there.”
And Burress thinks he’ll be good.
“I know where I am,” Burress said Wednesday. “I know what I’m capable of doing. Everybody expects [a dropoff because] I’ve been away for two years, and I just turned 34 and all those things. None of those things matter to me. I believe that I’m still one of the best out there competing and I’m not going to lose that mindset. I’m going to go out and my mindset is to dominate one-on-one and that’s what I’ve been pretty much doing throughout my career and I’m not going to stop that mindset now.”
We’ll find out soon whether that mindset is just a mindset, or whether it’s still the truth.