Plaxico Burress spoke with teammate Brandon Jacobs yesterday and, according to Jacobs, “was laughing and grinning.”

Burress probably won’t be laughing or grinning this morning.

That’s when the Giants wide receiver is expected to surrender to New York City police and be charged with criminal possession of a weapon after accidentally shooting himself in the right thigh at a Manhattan nightclub early Saturday morning.

Attorney Benjamin Brafman, who met with Burress at the player’s Totowa, N.J., home yesterday, said Burress would plead not guilty. If convicted of felony possession, Burress could be sentenced from 3 1/2 to 15 years in prison. If the charge is reduced to a misdemeanor, he could face no time at all.

When asked if the gun had been recovered, an NYPD spokesman said, “As far as I know, it’s in the hands of the Jersey police.”

Jacobs, the Giants’ star running back, said after yesterday’s 23-7 win over the Washington Redskins in Landover, Md., that he had spoken to Burress on the phone.

“I called him and made a few jokes about the situation and his laugh is what I wanted to hear,” Jacobs said. ” … If he didn’t laugh, I knew he was going to be down, which he shouldn’t be down. It’s a mistake that happened, something that shouldn’t have happened and that’s that.”

Jacobs was seen arriving at Burress’ home last night but wouldn’t answer reporters’ questions.

Earlier last night, the Totowa police chief visited Burress’ home for three to four minutes. A Totowa police spokesman confirmed the visit but would not comment on any other aspect of the department’s involvement with the case.

Brafman, who successfully defended rap impresario Sean “Diddy” Combs on a gun-possession charge in 1999, said in a roadside interview outside Burress’ home: “He’s not running away from this. He intends to deal with this responsibly and we hope it works out in the end and I would ask that the public, the Giants, the media and everybody else withhold judgment. He’s presumed innocent, hasn’t been convicted of anything and we have a long road ahead of us.”

Brafman’s comments were the first words from the Burress camp since the Super Bowl XLII star accidentally shot himself at the LQ (Latin Quarter) nightclub on Lexington Avenue. Burress, 31, has been holed up in his sprawling $4-million home since being released from a Manhattan hospital Saturday afternoon.

Burress’ career with the Giants and status in the NFL also will be decided in the coming days and weeks. He has caused some trouble since signing a five-year, $35-million contract extension with the team on Sept. 4.

He was suspended for two weeks (one game) in October for missing a team meeting, was benched for the start of a game later in the month and had his “frame of mind” questioned by coach Tom Coughlin before last week’s game, in which Burress played in only one series because of a hamstring injury, also in his right leg.

Giants owner John Mara, in Landover, said yesterday morning: “I’m disappointed that this happened, that any of our guys would put themselves in this kind of situation. Our first concern is for Plaxico, his health and well-being. We were very relieved to find out that he is going to be OK.”

One option available to the Giants is to place Burress on what’s called the “non-Football injury” list. When a player is on this list, the team is not obligated to pay him when he is not active. Burress also could face disciplinary action from the NFL under its player-conduct policy.

Burress has an expired concealed-weapon permit from Florida, which is where he lives in the offseason, but even a current Florida permit is not valid in New York City.

What’s to come

When Plaxico Burress turns himself in to police at Manhattan’s 17th Precinct today, he will be fingerprinted and is expected to be booked on a felony charge of criminal possession of a weapon.

Burress will be arraigned before a judge and will enter a plea of not guilty, according to his attorney. The judge will decide on bail and set a date for further proceedings in the case.

Criminal possession of a weapon in New York City is punishable by 3 1/2 to 15 years in prison.

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