National Football League

Coughlin refuses to return fire at Plax

Published Sep. 9, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Tom Coughlin predictably refused to be drawn into a war of words with Plaxico Burress, after the former Giants wide receiver heavily criticized his taskmaster coaching style in a magazine interview.

In comments released Friday, Burress said that Coughlin's attitude was a big reason the former Super Bowl hero decided against returning to the Giants.

The interview with Men's Journal was conducted after Burress was released from prison and before he signed with the Jets.

Coughlin said that he did not read the article and was not "really all that concerned" about it. "I'm sure it was a lot of grandiose statements," Coughlin said.

Asked if Burress made any of those same points in his free-agent pitch meeting with the Giants last month, or told Coughlin he was not interested in coming back, Coughlin said, "No, not at all."

Jets coach Rex Ryan also declined to address it.

According to NJ.com, Ryan was asked Friday how he would have handled Burress' situation if he was coaching him when the shooting incident involving the wide receiver occurred in 2008.

"I don't really want to deal in the what ifs and all that stuff. I don't think it's fair to anybody," Ryan said. "The hindsight being 20/20 and all that, I'd rather not comment on it."

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