Plaxico Burress is back with the Steelers, and he says he wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Burress told the team’s website that he told Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and General Manager Kevin Colbert at the end of last season that if the Steelers would have him back, he wouldn’t even look around to see what else was out there.
“I told them Pittsburgh was the only place I wanted to be,” Burress said. “When I came in last year I thought I was in good shape for the time frame I was there. All I wanted this year was an opportunity to get into minicamp and training camp and start to get myself back into real football shape along with everyone else.”
Although Burress only played in four games and caught three passes last season, he said he believes the Steelers intend to give him a chance to fill the starting spot that Mike Wallace vacated.
“For me to get off the board the first day of free agency I think it says a lot about the Steelers and what kind of role they have in mind for me,” Burress said. “I am going to approach it like I am going to be a starter
Burress began his career with five seasons in Pittsburgh before leaving for the Giants, where he spent four years. He then spent two years in prison for illegally possessing a gun and returned in 2011 to the Jets. But he says Pittsburgh is where he wants to be.
“It’s a special place,” Burress said. “From the owners on down they create an atmosphere that can’t be duplicated. It’s within the building. It’s been that way as long as I can remember. It’s everyone in the building. It’s the foundation. It’s special. You don’t get to be around an organization or teammates like the Steelers other places around the NFL. That is one of the first things I noticed when I left and went to New York. Sometimes you want to embark on bigger and better things and go to the big city. I did that. There are pros and cons of every situation. I am back because I love it in Pittsburgh. When you leave you realize how special a place it really is.”
The 35-year-old Burress likely doesn’t have much time left in the NFL, but he appears content to end his career where it began.