Darrelle Revis Wants New York Jets To Show Class, Retain Him

Cornerback Darrelle Revis is hoping the New York Jets show class and retain him this offseason.

Darrelle Revis has been one of the best cornerbacks of his era and best players in the history of the New York Jets. But, the two sides could be heading for an ugly breakup this offseason.

The Revis vs Jets saga has been on display previously. His first contract dispute with them with Rex Ryan at the helm playing out on HBO’s Hard Knocks. Strong-arming the Jets into trading him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and cashing in multiple times as a free agent, almost like a hired hand for a couple of seasons.

After spending two seasons away, he returned to the Jets during the 2015 offseason to much fanfare. The team was excited to get him back, but paid a pretty penny for him in the form of a five-year, $70 million contract with $39 million guaranteed. It is a move the Jets are probably regretting right now as Revis has regressed in the second year of the deal.

Revis, after being a shutdown corner throughout his career and not being challenged, has been picked on throughout 2016. Teams are attacking the veteran corner and finding plenty of success doing so. The Jets allowed eight receivers to eclipse the 100-yard mark this season, and not all were household names.

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Terrelle Pryor, a quarterback turned wide receiver in his first season as a wide receiver, torched Revis with ease for 101 yards on six receptions. Kenny Britt went for 109 against the Jets. Sammie Coates went for 139 against the Jets, to name a few.

While it was not all Revis’ fault, he played a big part in it. Without having a lockdown No.1, the Jets were vulnerable all over the field to the pass. If teams weren’t picking on the struggling Revis they were picking on the less talented Buster Skrine, Marcus Williams, or inexperienced Juston Burris.

With his struggles, the Jets face a huge dilemma this offseason; should they retain Revis or let him go? It is a simple answer if you ask Revis, who tells the Jets to just use some class when deciding.

"“Would I love to be here? Yes,” Revis said in a locker-room interview with the Post. “Will I be back? That’s a great question. My thing would be this: Do the New York Jets want to treat my situation with class or no class? With me being one of the best players in the history of this franchise, do they want me to retire here or not retire here?”"

Revis would continue, adding that he set a precedent in the league for something other cornerbacks aspire to reach.

"“I’ve been one of the best cornerbacks to ever play this game,” Revis said, according to the Post. “I’ve done a lot of things in this league that a lot of guys currently playing are chasing now. I’ve impacted the game in a way where it was like, ‘Hey, he doesn’t give up any catches to the No. 1 [receiver].’ I set a precedent.”"

While all of that may be accurate, the NFL is a what have you done for me now league and business. Based on that, Revis second tour with the Jets may not last long into 2017.

There is no question the impact that Revis has had on the cornerback position in general and for the Jets. But, the 2016 season has not been a pretty one and some of the things that Revis have said are concerning.

Revis admitted to being out of shape earlier in the season; something you do not want to hear from a player you expect to be a leader on the field and in the locker room. It sets a poor example for his teammates to follow. Someone close to Revis also said that he doesn’t want to play anymore as the Jets entered the tail end of their disastrous season.

Again, not things you want to hear from any player, let alone one that is supposed to be a leader for the team. Revis would like the Jets to show him some respect, which is a fair request. But, showing request is a two-way road, and his performance and readiness, which could be attributed to offseason surgery, is disrespectful to his teammates and the organization.

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Revis is smart to be open to a move to safety and for a pay cut, as it may the only way the Jets retain him as his current cap number comes nowhere close to the production he is providing on the field.