MANHATTAN CRIMINAL COURT — Former New York Jet Braylon Edwards pleaded guilty on Friday to driving drunk after police stopped him in Chelsea last year.
Edwards — now a free agent — will lose his Michigan-issued license for six months, pay a $500 fine and attend an NFL-sponsored treatment program, according to a deal struck with prosecutors.
He must also install an ignition interlock device on his vehicle, which would require him to pass a breathalyzer test before driving his own car in the future.
While Edwards received a jail-free offer typically extended to first time DWI offenders, he faced up to a year in jail on the top charge, a misdemeanor.
"Now it's just really time to focus on football again," the athlete told reporters after the plea.
He added that he "most definitely" wants to return to playing for the Jets above other interested teams. The team is reportedly likely to sign him after first taking back his former teammate Santonio Holmes.
"I'm glad that we got it resolved today before free agency is officially open," said Edwards, who donned a lime green dress shirt and olive suit.
Edwards was stopped while driving a 2007 Land Rover on Sept. 21, 2010, at West 34th Street and 12th Avenue, for having heavily tinted windows. He was found to have a blood alcohol content of .16, more than twice the legal limit of .08.
Then a Jets wide receiver, Edwards was charged with two misdemeanors and an infraction. He entered a guilty plea to only one count on Friday. The team sanctioned their star by benching him for one start after his arrest.
Edwards' attorney, Peter Frankel, said the star has been focusing on charity work through the Braylon Edwards Foundation and on getting ready for next season, following what was a "fair" resolution — a jail and probation-free deal.
"This is a very exciting period for him. He wants to put any negativity behind him and move forward based on what the resolution was," Frankel said.
He is due back in court on Oct. 21 for a compliance check-in with the court.
