Let’s detour from the NFL offseason and its spicy headlines and talk about the NFL season 2007. Oh yes, the one when the New York Giants won their third Super Bowl title. The game’s highlights? Sure, it was Eli Manning’s first Super Bowl win, but Plaxico Burress kinda made it his night at the final moments. The guy sealed the deal with the game-winning touchdown, leaving Tom Brady and the undefeated Patriots stunned in disbelief.

BUT! Looks like the biggest news related to that game is coming right now, and not for a good reason. Manning’s former wide receiver, Burress’ Super Bowl 2008 ring was just sold for $280K at Heritage Auction. Sounds pretty wild, right? But yeah, that’s exactly what it says. Recently, Darren Rovell of Cllct Media hit up his official ‘X’ handle and broke the news.

And here’s the kicker: it is the highest ever paid for a Super Bowl player ring, beating out Lawrence Taylor’s Giants ring from Super Bowl XXV ($230K). As of February 9, the highest bid for Burress’ ring was $67,500. A few weeks later, it broke the all-time record of Taylor’s Giants’ ring being sold at $280K.

And let’s be real—when you think about that Super Bowl, the first thing that pops into your head? Burress snagged that game-winner from Eli like it was destiny. Absolute chills. Fast forward to now, and whenever you talk about that game again, the first thing that’s gonna pop into your head will be his Super Bowl ring getting sold for $280K.

But behind the glitter of that $280K sale is a reality far less glamorous—because for Plaxico Burress, this wasn’t just memorabilia, it was a lifeline.

But why did Eli Manning’s wideout sell his Super Bowl ring?

One of the biggest questions right about now—why did Burress sell his Super Bowl ring? You see, the guy won the Super Bowl in 2008 and his career came to a halt back in 2009 when he pleaded guilty to attempted weapon possession and spent 20 months in jail. And let’s just say, the WR didn’t get a chance for a comeback after that. Now, if you’re thinking that retiring from pro football ball could work out for him, then think again.

According to the New York Post, Burress has been struggling financially ever since his retirement. Back in 2015, he was accused of cutting a bad check or making an electronic fund transfer to avoid paying $46K in taxes (on a $1M salary from 2013) that he owed to the State of New Jersey. What happened next?

He reached a plea deal to a lesser charge of tax evasion in exchange for a lighter sentence. As a result, the guy avoided jail time and was placed on five-year probation. On top of that, the former WR was ordered to pay back the owed taxes, plus an extra $10K, totaling $56K in restitution.

Fast forward to a couple of years later, Burresses stopped paying the mortgage on their 5,500-square-foot pad in Totowa, N.J., which they purchased for $1.5 million back in 2005. The result? Well, the banks later issued a foreclosure on his property a year later back in 2018. However, as of February 2021, the dispute was settled between both parties.

And if we take a look at Burress’ earnings from his NFL career, it’s $29,366,150 (according to Sportrac). But now? It’s like Thanos just snapped—Plaxico Burress is financially struggling and that iconic Super Bowl ring is gone.