Darrelle Revis Wants to Retire a Jet
Star NFL cornerback (CB) Darrelle Revis and the New York Jets franchise have quite a bizarre relationship. Revis is currently threatening to hold out on training camp because he is unhappy with his current deal with the Jets, but has claimed that he wants to retire as a member of the Jets if the organization allows him to do so.
In an internet chat with fans on the NFL Players’ Association site, Revis said: "That's always been my goal. When they drafted me, I told them this is one of the biggest things they did, and I won't let them down. From the business side, they make the choices. They know my heart is with the Jets and Jersey and New York City. I'm here as long as I can be. If they give me the ability to have a choice, I'll stay here as a Jet."
While Revis spoke about his commitment to the Jets, he did not mention anything regarding the possibility of holding out on the Jets training camp that begins on Aug. 1 in Cortland, N.Y.
Currently, no conciliation seems to be in sight between the fourth-year player and his team. Revis has claimed that the Jets previously promised him a new deal and thinks that he deserves to be the highest paid cornerback in the National Football League. This would mean the Jets have to give him a contract that tops the Oakland Raiders’ deal with star Nnamdi Asomugha, which is worth $16 million per year.
As of right now, Revis is slated to make $1 million for the 2010 season, followed by a total of $20 million for 2011 and 2012 if the Jets decide to execute a simple two-year buy-back option.
New York has claimed that they are more than willing to give Revis a deal, provided that it is “within reason.” Sources close to the organization say that to the Jets, “within reason” has been expressed with offers between $11 million to $13 million a year. Revis has rejected the offer due to the lack of guaranteed money.
The Jets are not in a position to provide Revis with too much guaranteed money due to the NFL’s reallocation rule. The rule states that when offering an extension in an uncapped year, a team can include future guarantees against skill and injury only to the amount of leftover cap room from the previous season. For the Jets, who have been building a Super Bowl contender through aggressive signings, this amount is a paltry $300,000.
On the other hand, the Jets can bypass this by simply giving Revis a bonus as this is an uncapped year. For some reason, the organization has opted to not do so and coach Rex Ryan may be without his (and possibly the NFL’s) best defensive player at the start of the Jets training camp.
If Revis doesn’t show up, his 2011 and 2012 paydays are also in jeopardy. According to a clause in his contract, the $20 million for '11 and '12 immediately switches from guaranteed to non-guaranteed if he's a no-show.
The Jets need to get their act together and appease Revis. His demands may be a little excessive, but it is clear that he wants guarantees and will settle for less money. He is arguably the best cornerback in the NFL and his single-coverage abilities give him the worth of essentially two players. Plus they know Revis's commitment to the franchise, which should only increase his worth to the team.
Revis, for his part, should understand the contractual binds faced by the Jets and perhaps loosen up the monetary demands in favour of a smaller bonus as a guarantee. The Jets have built themselves a Super Bowl calibre team, but that dream will be shattered if the defensively oriented Jets do not have “Revis Island” and his pure skill in shutting down receivers.
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