Plaxico Burress won't play Monday night

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Plaxico Burress won't play Monday night


By Jane McManus
ESPNNewYork.com
Archive (http://search.espn.go.com/jane-mcmanus/) FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Wide receiver Plaxico Burress (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/2139/plaxico-burress) will not be available for the New York Jets (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets)' first preseason game, coach Rex Ryan said Friday, and will not take part in team drills until at least Wednesday.
The Jets -- who play in Houston on Monday night -- are scheduling an MRI on Burress' left ankle, which was injured during a private route-running workout with Santonio Holmes (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/9611/santonio-holmes) on Aug. 3.
"I think we were all anxious to see him out there, but I want to see him out there at 100 percent, not 80 percent," Ryan said.
Ryan stressed that the Jets are taking a more cautious approach with Burress so that the ankle injury doesn't linger into the season.
"If we had to play a [regular season] game, he would play," Ryan said. "He would definitely play."
Ryan would not call the injury a sprain, but said trainers were concerned that the flight to Houston could cause Burress' ankle to swell.
Holmes and Derrick Mason (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/1263/derrick-mason) will start at wide receiver in Houston.
Burress hasn't played football since the 2008 season. He was released from prison in June after serving time for carrying a handgun into a Manhattan nightclub, where he accidentally shot himself.
Ryan said he isn't yet concerned that the $3 million receiver hasn't gotten involved in team drills yet.
"He knows how to play football. I'm not concerned right now," Ryan said. "Now, if it goes on [and] I have to answer the question next week, the week after, whatever -- I don't think we're going to have those issues."
Ryan said he didn't think the ankle injury was a continuation of problems Burress had as a Giant. His prior trouble was primarily with the right ankle.
The Jets initially said Burress would miss one or two practices after rolling his ankle at the start of camp, but he only participated in team drills once, sneaking into the first rep on Sunday. On Tuesday, Ryan said Burress experienced some swelling.
Despite the setbacks, Ryan maintains that the injury is minor and the MRI was being ordered as a baseline.
Jane McManus is a reporter and columnist for ESPNNewYork.com.
Follow Jane McManus on Twitter: @janesports (http://twitter.com/janesports)