For the first time in five years, Plaxico Burress has had a full offseason with a team to prepare for the campaign to come. This year, he could be done before even the first preseason game.
Per a league source, Burress has a torn rotator cuff in his shoulder. The injury happened Thursday after Burress hit the ground hard while trying to make a catch.
Burress, who turns 36 on Monday, spent most of 2012 looking for a job before signing late in the year with the Steelers, the team that made him a first-round draft choice in 2000. He re-signed with the Steelers for another year, and he was expected to serve as a large target for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, especially in the red zone.
For now, it’s feared that the injury could end Plaxico’s season. No final decision has been made as to whether he’ll potentially return.
The Steelers, who lost Mike Wallace in free agency, could look outside the organization for help at the position.