According to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, arbitrator Stephen Burbank ruled the Giants must pay Burress a $1 million bonus plus an undisclosed amount for a 2008 roster bonus.
In contrast, Burbank ruled the Kansas City Chiefs won't be forced to pay guaranteed salary and bonuses to running back Larry Johnson over the next two seasons in the event they release him.
The Giants suspended Burress for four games last season after he accidentally shot himself in the leg at a Manhattan nightclub.
A free agent after being released by the Giants, Burress is being pursued by several teams interested in signing him, according to Rosenhaus. The agent said discussions with them are ongoing.
The four-game suspension cost Burress $823,529 in lost wages. He was also fined an additional $205,882, one week's salary.
On top of that, the Giants declined to pay a $1 million installment of a $4.25 million signing bonus, which was part of a five-year, $35 million extension he signed in September. That payment was due on Dec. 10, two weeks after the shooting.
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Plaxico Burress and Eli Manning slay the mighty Patriots with a TD in the final moments of Super Bowl XLII.
The Giants contended they had a clause in Burress' contract that allowed them to recoup a part of the bonus in the event he was incarcerated or detained by law-enforcement personnel or if he was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team.
However, there is no specific language in the collective bargaining agreement for a team going after more than $250,000 in bonus money, which was a basis of the ruling in favor of Burress.
