Plaxico Burress Expected to Be Arrested, Antonio Pierce Could Face Criminal Charges

Twenty-four hours later and Plaxico Burress is still dumb. Yesterday, we learned that he accidentally shot himself in the leg on Friday at a Manhattan nightclub. And while that's almost impossible to fathom -- billions of people manage to make it through life without ever putting a bullet into their thigh -- the details of exactly how it happened are, well, stupefying.

The New York Daily News reports that Burress, "who was sporting flashy jewelry and carrying loads of cash," was initially turned away from the LQ nightclub because he was packing heat, but explained that he needed the weapon for protection. Presumably because he was sporting flashy jewelry and carrying loads of cash.

[UPDATE: The Star-Ledger reports that Burress will surrender to authorities as soon as tomorrow. Hooray, U.S. justice system.]

And from there it just got worse:

The mercurial Giant was waved inside the crowded Latin-themed club on Lexington Ave. about midnight. He downed several drinks, making already jittery security guards more nervous about his weapon.

As Burress was being led into a VIP area, with a drink in his hand, the gun slipped down his pants leg. He reached for the weapon, but fumbled it and it went off, sources said. The bullet tore through Burress' already injured right thigh, police said.

Oh, and did I mention that linebacker Antonio Pierce was with Burress when he fired a bullet into his leg? And after ripping the Giants wideout for carrying a gun, he tried to hide the weapon somewhere in New Jersey.

So, to recap: Burress could face felony charges for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, and Pierce now also has own legal troubles:

Burress is expected to be arrested on felony weapons charges in the coming days, while Pierce's attorney was in frantic discussions with cops last night to stave off criminal charges, police sources said.

The Giants are 10-1 and have a huge division game against the Redskins today. Pierce will play while Burress, obviously, will not. In fact, his career in New York is probably over. And it only cost the organization $11 million for 13 weeks of mediocre football.

The Plaxico Burress Saga

David Tyree had the highlight reel catch of Super Bowl XLII, but Plaxico Burress had the game-winner. Eli Manning found Burress in the end zone for the championship-clinching catch - easily Burress' greatest moment as a pro. Click through to see how things have gone wrong since then.

Jim McIsaac, Getty Images

Unhappy with his contract situation, Burress skipped the Giants' mandatory summer mini-camp and then sat out much of the preseason with an ankle injury. Finally, shortly before the start of the regular season, the Giants agreed to a five-year, $35-million contract extension with the disgruntled receiver.

Evan Pinkus, Getty Images

No mandatory mini-camp, no preseason, no problem. In New York's Week 1 win over Washington, Plaxico made 10 catches for 133 yards.

Seth Wenig, AP

In a stunning Week 6 Monday night loss to Cleveland, Burress scored a touchdown but was otherwise shut down - part of a subpar season that has seen Burress fail to top 100 yards in any game other than the opener.

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Burress had a bit of a meltdown in the Giants' Oct. 19 win over San Francisco. The NFL fined Burress $45,000 for his actions in that game, when he verbally abused an official and threw a ball into the stands. That came just two weeks after the Giants suspended Burress for their Oct. 5 game for missing a team meeting.

Evan Pinkus, Getty Images

Two weeks ago, in an easy New York win over Baltimore, Burress tweaked his hamstring. It was that injury that was going to sideline him against Washington in Week 13 anyway.

Kathy Willens, AP

The latest Burress moment: Reportedly out at a club on Friday night, just hours after news broke that he would be inactive on Sunday because of his hamstring injury, Burress suffered a gunshot wound to his leg - allegedly self-inflicted and by accident.

Stephen Dunn, Getty Images