Net Worth Ranker
What Is Plaxico Burress Net Worth?
As of February 2025, Plaxico Burress’s net worth is estimated to be around $500,000. This figure reflects a career marked by both significant earnings as a professional football player and substantial financial challenges in later years. His financial journey includes high-value contracts, real estate investments that turned sour, and legal troubles that impacted his overall wealth.
Plaxico Burress’s Career Earnings and Contract Details
Throughout his 12 seasons in the NFL, Plaxico Burress accumulated approximately $29.5 million in salary. A breakdown of his earnings shows varied amounts each year, reflecting contract negotiations, performance bonuses, and periods of suspension. In 2000, his initial year with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he earned $1.23 million, which included a signing bonus. His salary decreased in the following years, with $450,000 in 2001, $550,000 in 2002, and $650,000 in 2003. By 2004, his salary increased to $2.2 million, reflecting his growing importance to the Steelers’ offense.
Upon joining the New York Giants in 2005, Burress received a $1.5 million signing bonus in addition to his base salary. His highest earning years were 2006 and 2007, where he received $6.75 million and $3.29 million, respectively, as a key player for the Giants. In 2008, he earned $3.46 million. Due to a suspension related to a legal incident, he did not play in 2009 and 2010. Upon his return to the NFL in 2011 with the New York Jets, he earned $3 million. In 2012, his final season, he played for the Steelers again, earning $925,000.
While specific details of his endorsement deals aren’t publicly available in detail, it’s common for NFL players of his caliber to have endorsement contracts with various brands. These deals could have supplemented his income but are not included in the stated $29.5 million in salary earnings. The absence of these details makes it difficult to fully assess Burress’s total career earnings.
Real Estate Investments and Financial Problems Affecting Plaxico Burress’s Net Worth
In 2005, Plaxico Burress purchased a 5,500-square-foot mansion in Totowa, New Jersey, for $1.5 million. However, in 2018, it was reported that the mansion was in foreclosure after Burress allegedly stopped making mortgage payments a year earlier. The property was eventually sold in 2015 for $999,000, resulting in a significant financial loss. This real estate venture contributed negatively to his overall net worth. Furthermore, in 2013, a home in Virginia Beach, Virginia, was sold for $480,000 after liens were placed on the property related to a $160,000 judgment owed to a woman he reportedly rear-ended in Florida in 2008. This incident further compounded his financial woes.
In 2015, Burress reportedly sent a bad check in the amount of $46,000 to the New Jersey tax authority. As a consequence, he faced a stiff penalty and ultimately agreed to pay $56,000 in restitution and serve five years of probation. These financial missteps and legal issues contributed significantly to the reduction of his net worth. In February 2025, he offered his Super Bowl ring up for auction, an action often taken when individuals face financial difficulties. Details regarding the final sale price of the ring are not explicitly stated, the fact that he auctioned such a significant memento suggests ongoing financial pressures.
Legal Troubles and Their Impact on Plaxico Burress’s Net Worth
Plaxico Burress’s legal troubles have played a significant role in shaping his financial situation. The most notable incident occurred in late 2008, when he accidentally shot himself in the thigh at a New York City nightclub. This incident led to charges of criminal possession of a weapon, resulting in a two-year prison sentence. The New York Giants released Burress due to the ongoing legal drama, affecting his income. The legal fees associated with his defense would have been a substantial expense.
Beyond the shooting incident, Burress has faced civil lawsuits for various reasons. These include allegedly causing permanent injuries to a woman whose car he hit and failing to honor a publicity deal with Chevrolet, which had also leased him a car that he damaged. Burress later got into trouble in 2015 when he was indicted by the State of New Jersey for failing to pay income taxes. At his sentence hearing in early 2016, he faced up to five years of probation as well as a conditional jail sentence. The expenses associated with these legal battles, including settlements, judgments, and attorney fees, would have had a considerable impact on his net worth. Specific amounts for these legal expenses are not publicly detailed, the cumulative effect of these cases would have substantially reduced his financial resources.
Early Life and Collegiate Career
Plaxico Burress was born on August 12, 1977, in Norfolk, Virginia. He has two brothers, and his upbringing laid the foundation for his future athletic pursuits. As a teenager, Burress attended Green Run High School in Virginia Beach, where he excelled in football and graduated in 1996. Following high school, he spent a year at Fork Union Military Academy. These formative years provided him with the discipline and skills necessary to succeed in collegiate and professional football.
Burress played college football at Michigan State University. He quickly made an impact, setting a new single-season Big Ten Conference record in his first season by catching a total of 65 passes. The following season, he surpassed his previous record with 66 receptions for 1,142 yards and 12 touchdowns. In just two seasons at Michigan State, he recorded 20 touchdown catches, 131 receptions, and 2,155 receiving yards. Burress concluded his collegiate career with a school-record 13 receptions for 185 yards and three touchdowns in a victory over the University of Florida in the 2000 Citrus Bowl. His success in college made him a highly sought-after prospect in the NFL Draft.
Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants Career
In the 2000 NFL Draft, Plaxico Burress was selected eighth overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers. His first season with the team was challenging, marked by an infamous gaffe where he mistakenly spiked a live ball, allowing the Jacksonville Jaguars to recover it. Despite this initial setback, Burress improved in his second season, breaking the 1,000-yard mark. His third season was his best with the Steelers, recording new career highs in receptions (78) and yards (1,325). Overall, in five seasons and 71 games with the Steelers, Burress amassed 261 receptions for 4,164 yards and 22 touchdowns.
In 2005, Burress joined the New York Giants, where he had a strong first season, catching 76 passes for 1,214 yards and helping the Giants secure a first-place finish in the NFC East. In 2006, Burress recorded a new career high of 10 touchdowns despite appearing in only 15 games due to injury. The next season was arguably his greatest in the NFL, as he helped the Giants advance to Super Bowl XLII. In the game, Burress caught the game-winning touchdown pass, giving the Giants a 17-14 victory over the previously undefeated New England Patriots. Following his success in Super Bowl XLII, Burress expressed dissatisfaction with his contract and refused to practice with the Giants during mandatory mini-camp. He felt that he was underpaid compared to other major NFL receivers. After he didn’t show up for work in September of 2008, he was temporarily suspended. Burress eventually returned but was issued four fines for various unsportsmanlike infractions. He played his final game with the Giants in late November and was released by the team in April 2009 amid his accidental shooting court case. While his contract details during this period are not entirely available to the public, his performance warranted significant compensation, which ultimately contributed to his overall career earnings before financial and legal issues affected his net worth.
Final Playing Years and Career Conclusion
In 2011, Plaxico Burress made his return to the NFL with the New York Jets. He played one season with the team before re-signing with his first team, the Steelers, in late 2012. On December 30, he caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the first touchdown he had caught from him since 2004. Burress went on to sign a deal to remain with the Steelers in 2013. However, after suffering a torn rotator cuff during practice in August, he was placed on injured reserve, ending his NFL playing career. The contracts and salaries from these final years added to his career earnings, but they were ultimately overshadowed by the financial and legal challenges he faced, impacting his long-term net worth.
Personal Life and Habits
In 2005, Plaxico Burress married Tiffany Glenn. The couple has a son named Elijah and a daughter named Giovanna. While specific details of their daily lives, work habits, and public appearances are not widely publicized, it is known that they reside in Totowa, New Jersey. Details about his spending habits, lifestyle choices, and personal investments are not available in the provided context. His public image has been heavily influenced by his professional career and the legal issues he faced, overshadowing aspects of his daily routine and lifestyle.
