ROME, N.Y. -- Plaxico Burress was released from prison Monday after serving nearly two years on a gun charge.
As he left Oneida Correctional Facility in central New York Monday morning, he hugged agent Drew Rosenhaus and shook hands. He was wearing a black sweatshirt, black shorts, black sneakers and a Philadelphia Phillies hat.
"It's a beautiful day," Burress told reporters. "It's a beautiful day to be reunited with my family ... As far as football is concerned, if and when everything is settled and when they get back on the field, I'll be ready."
Rosenhaus said earlier Monday that the receiver isn't ruling out a possible reunion with the New York Giants or signing with any other NFL team.
"I wouldn't rule out any team, I wouldn't rule out the Giants, I wouldn't rule out any club," Rosenhaus told reporters on a foggy Monday morning. "I really won't talk about specific teams because I don't want to hurt his position. As far as the Giants, my personal opinion is he wouldn't rule them out. I certainly wouldn't.
"We are going to be open to all 32 teams," Rosenhaus added. "Ultimately this will be Plax's decision, not mine. I am here to help him pick the best spot and get the very best contract. And that is what we will do."
Rosenhaus said his client has learned from his prison stay and is ready to immediately begin training in hopes of resuming his NFL career. Burress served nearly two years for after pleading guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon. Burress' wife, Tiffany, will leave with the receiver to South Florida sometime Monday.
"Before the lockout started and during that very brief window, right around the time of the draft, the feedback was excellent," said Rosenhaus, who along with all other agents is not allowed to talk to teams until the lockout is lifted. "Plaxico is going to be a top free agent, there are going to be multiple teams interested in signing him. I expect him to get a good contract, I expect him to absolutely be playing. I think he'll be coveted. He'll be one of our top free agents."
Brandon Jacobs, one of Burress' best friends on the Giants, said last Thursday that "there is no chance Plaxico Burress is a New York Giant after he comes home" and that the wide receiver was looking for a fresh start, perhaps with the Philadelphia Eagles. Several New York Giants players want Burress back on the team. Coach Tom Coughlin has said that there hasn't been much discussion about a possible reunion. Burress will become a free agent once the lockout ends and free agency begins. Rosenhaus believes there will be a strong interest in his clients. Teams like the New York Jets, St. Louis Rams, Washington Redskins and Eagles could be interested in the 6-5 receiver.
Michael Vick, who served a 23-month federal sentence for running a dogfighting ring, has shown it is possible to successfully return to the league. Vick said in a recent radio interview with WIP in Philadelphia that Burress would be a great fit with the Eagles.
"I think certainly Plaxico is going to come out with a chip on his shoulder the same way I did, and he'll go out and help this football team to whatever capacity he can," Vick said. "I think the guys would be willing to embrace him and bring him in. If that happens? Who knows? We talking about 'what ifs' now? It would certainly be a good thing."
The lanky 6-foot-5 receiver seemingly had a career-defining moment when he caught a 13-yard pass from Eli Manning with 35 seconds to play to give the Giants a stunning 17-14 win over the undefeated New England Patriots in the 2008 Super Bowl.
Nine months later his world unraveled. Burress, with a handgun tucked in his sweatpants, hit a a New York City nightclub with then-Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce, who is now an ESPN analyst. Burress' weapon slipped from his waistband and discharged as he attempted to grab it, injuring him in the thigh. The bullet narrowly missed a security guard, prosecutors said.
Rosenhaus said the receiver has done all that he can do to stay in shape while in prison.
"He's been very strong," Rosenhaus said. "He did a lot better than I would have. No question worked out, maintained a very positive attitude, always driven to get back to the NFL, be with his family again. As well as you could for 21 months of incarceration.
"Running, staying in shape, sprints, jogging, lifting weights, as much as you can do in a facility like this," Rosenhaus added. "Running routes, didn't have a quarterback here unfortunately. But he did very well -- push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, a lot of core strength, as much as you can imagine in this type of environment."
Rosenhaus said his client is a changed man and has learned from his mistake which he has paid dearly for.
"I think he's learned an awful lot," Rosenhaus said. "He knows that he obviously made a mistake and certainly the maturation from being in this type of environment for so many months to reflect on your life and the things you might do differently. To miss two NFL seasons in the prime of your career, to not be with your family, most importantly, to lose out on millions and millions of dollars -- these are things that have forced him certainly to evaluate his life and we all would become a better person."
Ohm Youngmisuk covers the Giants for ESPNNewYork.com.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
