From the moment the Buccaneers swung a deal with the Jets for cornerback Darrelle Revis, G.M. Mark Dominik left no room for debate -- Revis will be ready come Week One of the regular season.
“One hundred percent he’ll be out there,” Dominik told PFT on the day the trade was made.
That hasn’t stopped his status for Week One from being a story, in large part because the media outlets covering the NFL need stories.
When it comes to Revis, the latest story is that coach Greg Schiano declined to rule Revis out for the preseason finale.
“I don’t know if you can say that,” Revis told reporters on Sunday regarding whether Revis won’t play, via quotes distributed by the team. “Just because a lot of guys aren’t playing doesn’t mean that Darrelle won’t play. It doesn’t mean that he will play, either. I never looked at it that way. He’s on his own schedule.
When you’re playing out on the flank, it doesn’t matter who else [is out there], you’re just playing. Let’s be real, these are NFL football players. They may not be the top of the line, but still, they’re the best. Again, he’s on his own schedule. I always say that meaning that he has a big part in it. We’re going to make the decision together, but I rely so much on his feedback and so does [Director of Sports Medicine and Performance] Todd [Toriscelli]. That’s how we do it.”
It would be a major story if Revis plays in the last meaningless game of August, especially when the guys playing will be going even harder than usual as they try to survive the looming cuts to 53.
It also will be a major story if Revis isn’t suited up and playing for the Bucs when they square off on September 8 against the Jets and whoever they have playing quarterback by then.