Welcome to day nine of the Darrelle Revis holdout. The Jets cornerback has now accumulated $128,000 in fines, although we doubt the team will ever make him pay.
Instead, the Jets front office will work furiously to solve a standoff without an easy solution, only easy scapegoats. Behind the scenes, the Jets have continued to peddle the line that it’s all Al Davis’ fault for the monster contract he gave Nnamdi Asomugha in 2009.
The New York Daily News’ Gary Myers spoke to a sympathetic G.M. that agreed.
“In our league, we let one man’s stupidity ruin it,” the G.M. said. “I would just say, ‘I’m not acknowledging it. It’s Al Davis. We are not doing that deal. If you want that deal, do what [Asomugha] did to get it. Wait until you become an unrestricted free agent.’ ”
The Jets have handled it this way, saying they won’t go along with Davis’ market-setting deal. But how far above market is $15 million-per-season? The Broncos are willingly paying Champ Bailey $12.5 million this year on the downside of his career.
The better argument is that Revis hasn’t hit free agency, so he can’t expect to be paid like a free agent. Quietly blaming Al Davis just distracts the Jets’ culpability.
Al Davis didn’t approach Revis’ agent just minutes after the Jets season ended, promising to take care of his client.
Al Davis didn’t call Revis the best defensive player in football day after day, putting Revis on a pedestal that the Jets now can’t reach financially.