As a New York Giants wide receiver, Plaxico Burress shocked the world with his game-winning Super Bowl LXII touchdown in the 2007 postseason, sending the undefeated (18-0) New England Patriots packing. But in the very next season, that achievement got marred. He injured himself in an accidental shooting and found himself facing criminal charges for possessing a handgun. 20 months of imprisonment later, he was ready for a comeback and found two teams in need of his talents on the field.

When he came back in 2011, Burress chose the New York Jets over the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it’s a decision that haunts him to this day. When he sat down with Lil Wayne on The Joint Venture Show, the renowned rapper asked him a brutal question that left everyone in stitches: “What’s worse, playing for the Jets or prison?”

“So, they’re both kind of similar because when I walked into the prison on my first day, I was like, ‘Damn, man, you are fu****g loser,’” Burress said amid raucous laughter. “And I had the same damn feeling every day I walked through the door with the Jets. I’m like, ‘Dang, I hope we can win this weekend.’ Loser!”

Plaxico Burress is notably listed as the 46th greatest New York Giant of all-time. But because of his off-field troubles, he had to give up a championship roster that defeated Tom Brady and go to a team that struggled to find success every step of the way.

The 2011 New York Jets hoped to build on their 11-5 record from the year before. But the 2011 NFL Lockout got in their way from the get-go, with the franchise owners shutting down league operations because they couldn’t reach an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement. No free agency, no training camp, and no communication with coaches – this is what Burress came back to. Once the league agreed upon a new CBA, the ensuing season didn’t go the way the Jets had hoped.

Across 16 games and 13 starts, Burress managed just 45 catches (out of 96 targets) and hauled in eight touchdowns. But the Jets were doing reasonably well until early December, carving out an 8-5 record, with a clear path to the playoffs. But they ended their season with a three-game losing streak and missed the postseason for the first time since 2008.

Quarterback Mark Sanchez only managed a 56.7% completion rate, throwing 18 interceptions and getting sacked a career-high 39 times. Add 16 more fumbles lost, and the doubts Burress had week after week comment seems more than justified.

While Plaxico Burress felt imprisoned with the Jets, the team he passed on – the Steelers – went on to post a 12-4 season and made the playoffs, ultimately losing the Wild Card that year. Burress was probably watching it all unfold, drawing up “what-if” scenarios.

Burress course-corrected and went back to the Steelers in November 2012 to shore up their injured receiver room, but he only got one touchdown to show for it. A torn rotator cuff ended his 2013 season before it even began. Even then, that unfortunate 2011 Jets stint remains one of his biggest regrets.