A week after abruptly bailing on the team’s voluntary offseason workouts, Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis met the media.
And while the Jets didn’t send out a partial transcript of the star cornerback’s remarks, the team has posted at its website video of his remarks. (Rosenthal posted a short item Thursday afternoon regarding the situation; I’ve opted to be a bit longer-winded now.)
Revis acknowledged that his absence directly arose from the fact that he has yet to get a new contract. “I’ve got two proposals,” he said. “The second one, the number has went up.”
Still, he said it’s not enough to get a deal done. And it’s now clear that “enough” will be the money paid to Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha (i.e., $15.1 million per year), plus at least one dollar.
Asked whether the economy should factor into his demands, Revis was calm be resolute. “That has nothing to do with football right now,” he said. “You’re talking about a whole different subject. . . . This is an uncapped year this year. Did you know that?”
Revis pointed out that other players have received new deals. “Patrick Willis got paid,” Revis said. “A couple of other people got paid. The Jets need to pay their guys.”
He mentioned himself, center Nick Mangold, left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson, and linebacker David Harris as players whom the Jets need to take care of.
As to his own situation, Revis said he was prepared to continue to play under the terms of his contract, until the Jets raised the possibility of an extension. “They came to [me] and said, ‘We want to do a long-term deal.’ So that’s on them,” Revis said. “And now we’re here in June.”
Revis spoke vaguely regarding the possible consequences of not getting a new deal, saying only that there will be “changes” if it doesn’t happen. He won’t be holding out of the team’s mandatory minicamp, possibly due to concerns that the $20 million in guaranteed money he’s due to earn in 2011 and 2012 would no longer be guaranteed if he fails to show up for a mandatory team practice or function.
Asked about this specific tweak in his deal, Revis acknowledged the existence of the term in his deal. “That’s something me and my team have to talk about,” Revis said. “About letting that money go and fighting for something bigger, or playing it safe and going to training camp.”
Calling his 2009 season “crazy,” he said he has a lot of leverage in pursuit of an attempt to get the money he “deserve[s].” He said he’s fighting, not in a hateful way but because it’s the nature of the business.
Still, he raised the possibility of not reporting to training camp -- along with the possibility of skipping the first game of the season, a Monday nighter in which the Jets will christen their new stadium against the Ravens.
Asked again about the connection between the economy and his demands, Revis was blunt. “The NFL is making money,” he said, more than once.
And Revis once again proved that coaches and G.M.'s should watch what they say when lavishing praise on a player. “If you come out in the paper and say that I’m the best defensive player in the league and the best cornerback,” Revis said, “why not try to fight for being the highest-paid cornerback?”
You’ve convinced us, Darrelle. Now you only need to convince the Jets, who surely wish in hindsight they’d never said a damn thing about extending your deal. Or about how great of a player you are.