NEW YORK — Plaxico Burress had lots of time to dream about this day, even if it once seemed unlikely.

The dark moments during those 20 months in prison were overcome by thoughts of reuniting with his family and catching passes again on the football field. He’d be back, he insisted, and so would everything he lost with one big mistake.

Burress just needed someone to give him a second chance. Rex Ryan and the New York Jets offered the perfect opportunity.

“When something’s taken away from you that you love, you know you love it more,” Burress said Sunday night. “You learn that playing in this business is definitely a privilege. I definitely miss being away from the game and the guys and being able to compete every Sunday with the best athletes in the world.”

The former Super Bowl star with the Giants signed a one-year deal with the Jets on Sunday after recently being released from prison after serving nearly two years on a gun charge. Burress, who turns 34 on Aug. 12, caught the winning touchdown pass in the Giants’ upset of the unbeaten New England Patriots in the 2008 Super Bowl before his career derailed after he accidentally shot himself in a New York nightclub later that year.

“I’m just grateful,” Burress said. “I’m excited about the opportunity and I’m going to give them everything I’ve got because they put their trust in me to be able to come in and contribute and have an impact.”

That was just the start of a busy day for the Jets.

A person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press early Monday morning that the Jets agreed to terms on a four-year contract with Antonio Cromartie, keeping the cornerback in New York.