Our most recent item regarding the Darrelle Revis situation springs from the apparent report by Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com that Revis wants to be traded by the Jets as soon as possible.
Per a source close to Revis, that’s not the case.
(Given that Cimini has since added the words “I think” at the outset of his article, Cimini apparently has gotten that same message.)
The source insists Revis doesn’t wanted to be traded, hasn’t asked to be traded, and has never at any time during his career in New York intimated directly or indirectly a desire to be sent to a new team.
This doesn’t change the fact that the Jets are trying to move him. So if Revis doesn’t want to be traded, the question becomes why do the Jets want to trade him?
Multiple schools of thought currently are making their way through the NFL grapevine on this point. First, the Jets have grown tired of the Revis routine, and they have chosen to not even try to negotiate a new deal with him. Second, they prefer trading him to seeing him sign in 2014 with the Patriots, Giants, Dolphins, or Bills. Third, they don’t want to pay him quarterback money. Fourth, owner Woody Johnson doesn’t want to pay Revis or anyone significant money, quarterback or otherwise.
The second and third options are undermined by the reality that, per the source, there have been no negotiations on a new contract for Revis -- at any time. Last year, when Revis was contemplating another holdout, there were no talks. Before that, there we no talks. Since then, there have been no talks.
While the two sides disagree on whether Johnson and the Jets agreed to give Revis a long-term deal two or three seasons after Revis signed his four-year deal in 2010, the fact remains that there have been no discussions aimed at making Revis the NFL equivalent of Derek Jeter in New York. Per the source, that’s something Johnson specifically promised to Revis.
With no attempt to negotiate Darrelle’s Derek Jeter deal, it can’t be that the player’s demands scared Johnson away. Sure, there’s a chance that Johnson assumes Revis will want too much. But how can anyone know that without asking?
Thus, if the Jets ultimately trade Revis without negotiating with him, the reasonable interpretation will be that Johnson decided that he no longer wanted Revis on the team, or that Johnson doesn’t want to pay significant money to any player.
Either of those explanations aren’t likely to make the Personal Seat License holders happy, or to persuade others to buy any of the remaining unsold PSLs.