Ex-Steelers WR creates history by selling Super Bowl ring for $280,600, surpassing Lawrence Taylor’s mark

Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Plaxico Burress set a record by selling his Super Bowl XLII ring for $280,600 at Heritage Auctions. The ring, which he won with the New York Giants in 2007, became the most expensive Super Bowl ring ever sold.

This sale surpassed the previous record of $230,000 held by Lawrence Taylor for his Super Bowl XXV ring. Darren Rovell of Cllct Media confirmed the news on Saturday.

Burress was part of one of the most historic runs to a Super Bowl the league has ever seen. The Giants faced the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, where Burress caught the game-winning touchdown from Eli Manning with just 35 seconds remaining.

Now, Burress has sold his Super Bowl ring from that iconic victory for a record-setting $280,600. The ring initially had a bid of only $67,500 on Feb. 9.

Plaxico Burress' financial woes

Burress was drafted eighth overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2000 NFL draft. After spending the first five seasons of his career with the Steelers, Burress signed with the New York Giants. He spent the next four seasons with Eli Manning's Giants and won the Super Bowl XLII.

NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Jets - Source: Imagn

After his stint with the Giants, Burress played a season for the Jets before returning to finish his career with the Steelers. Since his retirement, publications such as The New York Post have reported that Burress has had financial troubles. According to Spotrac, Burress earned $29,366,150 in his career.

In 2015, Burress found himself in trouble with the state of New Jersey, in which he attempted to send a bad payment of $67,500 in taxes on his $1 million income from 2013. He scored a plea deal over the entire ordeal, sentenced to five years of probation and $56,000 restitution.

TMZ reported in 2018 that Burress stopped paying the mortgage on his home in Totowa, New Jersey. The $1.5 million, 5,500-square-foot home was purchased in 2005. The banks issued a foreclosure on the property in 2018. However, the dispute was settled in Feb. 2021.