Plaxico Burress will spend up to two years behind bars for gun charges after copping a plea deal.

TMZ.com reports that the former New York Giant pleaded guilty Thursday to illegal possession of a firearm. The charges follow an incident last year when the athlete accident shot himself in the leg outside a Manhattan nightclub with his own gun.

Plaxico is scheduled to be back in court on September 22 for sentencing. The judge said that he’ll be sentenced to no more than two years in prison, which was the recommended punishment.

Although, he’s currently suspended from the NFL, the league has said that he can return to the field once he finishes serving his sentence.

“In light of his plea [Thursday], Commissioner Roger Goodell has suspended [Plaxico] and informed him that he is ineligible to sign with any team until he completes his jail term,” a league rep said in a statement.  “[Roger] said [Plaxico] will be reinstated and eligible to sign with an NFL team upon the completion of his sentence.”

-- Sonya Eskridge

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