Why NFL star finally ended long holdout

Ryan plays mediator to get Revis back on field

In the wee hours of Friday morning, the contract battle between cornerback Darrelle Revis(notes) and the New York Jets changed from money to being about football
Jets coach Rex Ryan had had enough.

Over the next three days, Revis and the Jets finally reached an acceptable solution. Revis got a premium guarantee and New York got the premium player that truly gives it the best chance to win its first Super Bowl since the days of Joe Namath.

The four-year, $46 million deal Revis and the Jets agreed to on Sunday night (it was announced by Revis on his Twitter account just after midnight, as had been planned all along) includes $32 million fully guaranteed and to be paid out in deferred chunks. The total amount is well over $100 million less than the figure Revis reportedly wanted, and the guarantee is more than the Jets wanted to pay.


[Photos: See more images of Jets star Darrelle Revis]


To put it another way, if Revis had played out his old deal and the Jets had franchised him in 2013 (based on current salaries of the top five cornerback contracts), he would have made $39 million with $20 million guaranteed. Under this deal, he gets $7 million more and $12 million more guaranteed.

Welcome to compromise.

What moved this deal more than anything was the common-sense approach of Ryan, an affable coach of the people who understands one basic premise: He needs Revis and, in the end, the money doesn’t matter if the team performs. That’s because Ryan knows better than anybody that all his wild, scary blitzes don’t look nearly so ominous without some truly great players running them. Those players can either be in the front (linemen and linebackers like had with the Baltimore Ravens) or in the back (like Revis in his breakout 2009 season).

Ryan also knows that his team isn’t going to win on the strength of offense. The Jets may be better than last year on that side of the ball, but quarterback Mark Sanchez(notes) has a long way to go and it’s obvious. If the Jets are going to win a Super Bowl, Sanchez will be playing a bit part this year.

That means that one way or another, you better have your best defensive players. For all four games of the preseason and all of training camp, Ryan didn’t have his best game changer, the one guy who alters the X’s and O’s more than anybody else. As the weeks wore on, you could sense the loss of confidence in Ryan’s voice as his team underperformed.

After the final preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night, Ryan went back to his New Jersey home. Around 2 a.m., Ryan met with agent Neil Schwartz to go over the situation. In that meeting, Schwartz laid out the long-term vision Revis wanted if the Jets were really going to sign him to a 10-year contract, which is what the team had broached early in the offseason. Schwartz’s proposal was surprisingly light on guaranteed money, but it included a lot of cash in the first three years and protected Revis against the inevitable skyrocketing of contracts. Overall, it was worth close to $160 million.

“He was still going to have to earn his money,” Schwartz said.

By contrast, the Jets had been willing to guarantee money up front, as a team source indicated last week. But they wanted a discount in the process. As of Aug. 15, the Jets put out a 10-year, $122 million deal that included $40 million guaranteed. The guarantee was fine but Revis’ side knew that the total was going to become dated almost the minute he signed.

At that moment, Ryan realized that neither side was being unreasonable. Somewhere in all the mish-mosh of numbers and terms, there was a compromise to be found.

More importantly, it was time to get serious about football. The Jets had spent much of training camp throwing out the usual bluster about how they could win without Revis. They had Antonio Cromartie(notes). They had rookie Kyle Wilson(notes). They were six deep at cornerback with solid players
Yeah, right. Revis is a different cornerback. He’s not only athletic, he’s tough. Unlike Cromartie, an incredible athlete with no taste for the rough stuff of the game, Revis isn’t afraid to throw his body around. Revis can play zone and he can get up in a receiver’s face and duke it out. Pick your poison, he’s deadly.

Certainly far more than anybody else on the Jets defense, a unit that doesn’t include nearly the number of stars people think. From Bart Scott(notes) to Kris Jenkins(notes) to David Harris(notes), the Jets defense is a bunch of really good players, but not a lot who stir the drink.

This is not what Baltimore put together in 2000, when the Ravens won the Super Bowl behind one of the greatest defenses ever. Ryan was the defensive line coach and the Ravens featured Ray Lewis(notes), Sam Adams(notes), Tony Siragusa, Rob Burnett, Mike McCrary, Peter Boulware and Chris McAlister(notes) all playing at their peak.

This is not the 1985 Bears unit that Ryan’s dad, Buddy, ran. That defense included Hall of Famers Mike Singletary and Dan Hampton, plus Richard Dent, Steve McMichael, Wilbur Marshall and Gary Fencik. By contrast, the Jets are much more a group whose sum is more than the value of the individual parts.

Except for Revis. He is truly special.

Last week, Revis’ uncle, Sean Gilbert, talked at length about all the things he could see coming from the Jets defense if they got his nephew signed.

“They could lead the league in sacks or interceptions, maybe both,” said Gilbert, who sat out the entire 1997 season in a contract dispute with the Washington Redskins.

Gilbert knows from what he speaks. As a former NFL defensive tackle, he understands the interplay of one talented guy playing next to another. He also understood the Jets’ position on the contract, but believed in the value of his nephew.

“Darrelle understands what he’s doing and what it means to him and the whole team,” Gilbert said. “He knows if he comes back, he better be ready.”

All that had to change was the “if” part in that statement. That’s where Ryan came in

J.E.T.S Revis Revis Revis done.

The Jets sign the deal.

Jets in danger of losing Revis forever

At one point during the latest episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” Jets coach Rex Ryan explained to veteran wide receiver Laveranues Coles(notes) why the team had to cut him. It was over salary reasons, but Ryan said the team hoped to bring back Coles in the second week of the season when his contract won’t be fully guaranteed.

Ultimately, Ryan told Coles that the team had to make the move “in case [cornerback Darrelle Revis(notes)] shows up without a new contract.”
Here’s a little piece of information for Ryan and the rest of the New York Jets: If Revis doesn’t get a new contract soon, New York doesn’t have to worry about the star cornerback showing up. Ever.


As the clock ticks to the beginning of the NFL season, the relationship between the Jets and Revis is ticking toward an end. A divorce, really. That might sound like hysteria to some but it’s reality.

You can hear the agitation in Ryan’s voice when he talks about the overall state of his team. During one moment in “Hard Knocks,” Ryan chewed the Jets out for not playing with urgency, a bad sign for any team, particularly for one that hasn’t won a championship in more than four decades.


Jets fans can pump their chest about allowing only one touchdown in the first three games of preseason, but that means nothing. If the Jets are really going to run Ryan’s high-risk, blitz-heavy defense, they have to have Revis. As gifted as cornerback Antonio Cromartie(notes) is, he’s not tough enough to emulate Revis.


If the Jets can’t bridge the gap between what they are offering Revis and what he believes they promised him at the end of last season, he’s not showing up, period.


As in ever again.


At the end of last season, when the Jets were going to the AFC championship game and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was renaming Manhattan “Revis Island,” the Jets were floating on an attention high. When it all came crashing in the loss to Indianapolis, the Jets couldn’t live with the buzzkill. They openly talked about getting Revis, who has three seasons left on his contract, signed to a lifetime deal. Ryan said Revis was the best defensive player in the league. It was an open declaration of love, the kind of wooing you see in Julia Roberts’ movies.


And at that point, the Jets were committed. Owner Woody Johnson can say all he wants about how that was then and this is now, but the fact is that his team made what Revis believed to be a promise. That means a lot to a 25-year-old man who plays a game of furious emotion and passion. This isn’t an abstract business deal.


Revis believes the Jets have toyed with him by making their initial overtures so public. If this had been done privately, Revis would have shown up for training camp even if a new contract hadn’t been agreed upon.
The problem is that love in the NFL is expressed in dollars and the Jets didn’t think this one through. In fact, when the idea of a long-term contract for Revis (10 years) was broached with this reporter months ago, I took all of about 30 seconds to figure out that the approximate number Revis would be looking for was roughly $160 million.

And I’m not exactly a contract negotiator.


What’s strange is that the Jets should have anticipated that. The Jets knew agents Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod well enough to understand that this wasn’t going to be easy if they didn’t take a strong approach. It wasn’t the first time considering Revis held out as a rookie in 2007. It wasn’t when Schwartz and Feinsod were representing former Jets guard Pete Kendall(notes) and tight end Chris Baker.


Schwartz and Feinsod crafted a brilliant contract for Revis the first time, one so good that no other team has ever done it since. Schwartz and Feinsod know leverage and they have certain principles.


More important, Revis has principles, too. If you were Revis and had a pretty good idea that your value isn’t going down anytime soon (there’s plenty of proof of that around the NFL) and you no longer had faith in the Jets, would you ever play for them again? Is that the kind of professional, working marriage you’d want to get into?

His uncle, Sean Gilbert, once sat out an entire year with Washington when he wanted between $4 million and $5 million a year and the Redskins were offering $3.2 million.


After a year away, Gilbert got $7 million a year from Carolina.


Gilbert learned that great players get great money even if they miss an entire season. This year alone, No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford(notes) got $50 million guaranteed even though he was coming off an injury-marred season in which he barely played. Likewise, wide receiver Dez Bryant(notes) and tight end Jermaine Gresham(notes) were both first-round picks this year despite barely playing last season in college.


There are plenty of other examples that feed this notion.


Revis isn’t wrong to ask for a deal that eclipses Oakland cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha’s(notes) $15.17 million average. Beyond the fact that Denver cornerback Champ Bailey(notes) isn’t far behind this year with a base salary of $13 million, any 10-year or long-term deal for that type of money means the deal will be eclipsed numerous times in the coming years. It’s the way the NFL works.


To put it in another perspective, Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning(notes) will soon reset the bar for what the top players in the league are worth. The Colts will be lucky – yes, lucky – to get Manning’s deal done for less than an average of $25 million a year.


And if the top quarterback in the league is worth $25 million a year, what is the top cornerback or defensive end, left tackle or wide receiver – all guys who drastically impact the quarterback – are going to be worth?


There’s going to come a point where $16 million a year for Revis is a decent price.


The Jets can counter that by saying that they’re doing Revis a favor by redoing his contract now, at least one year in advance of free agency. That’s reasonable, but here’s another way of looking at it: If Revis plays out his contract over the next three years, he gets $21 million. The Jets then would be forced to put a franchise tag (assuming the franchise tag still exists) for a minimum of $18 million for 2013 (based on the fact that Revis’ 2012 salary is scheduled to be $15 million.


That’s $39 million over four years, but then the averages start to really jump, going way north of $20 million a year. From that perspective, $16 million a year looks like a good price.


But more important than any of that is a simple fact: Either the Jets get this done or they never have Revis again

Jets, Revis’ agents to keep talks ‘confidential’

CORTLAND, N.Y. (AP)—The negotiations between the New York Jets and holdout cornerback Darrelle Revis(notes) are going behind closed doors.

No more finger pointing through the media, and no more public back-and-forth.

The Jets and Revis’ agents, Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod, issued a joint statement Thursday—a cease-fire of sorts—saying they’ll keep all future talks out of the public eye after things got snippy earlier this week.

“Both parties have had conversations to clear the air and will continue to negotiate with the hopes of reaching an agreement,” the statement read. “From this point forward, all discussions regarding these negotiations will remain confidential.”
Revis has missed 12 days, including Thursday, since the team reported for training camp at SUNY Cortland. He’s scheduled to make $1 million in the fourth year of his six-year rookie deal, but wants to become the league’s highest-paid cornerback. That distinction belongs to Oakland’s Nnamdi Asomugha(notes), who signed a three-year, $45.3 million extension last offseason.

Revis’ holdout is one of the major story lines on HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” which premiered Wednesday night. The program chronicled the last few weeks of negotiations, including a meeting last Friday in which no agreement was reached. In one scene, a frustrated general manager Mike Tannenbaum said he felt “like a failure” because “we haven’t moved the needle” in the six months the sides have been talking.

There were some accusations made by both sides earlier in the week, with owner Woody Johnson saying he was “rebuffed” by Revis’ agents when he asked if he could be part of that meeting at the Roscoe Diner in Roscoe, N.Y., last Friday. Schwartz responded by saying that was “a blatant lie” and that Johnson was given “incorrect” information. He also said he’d meet Johnson “any time, any place.”

On Wednesday, Jets coach Rex Ryan even got into it, saying he came up with a plan to end the talks. He suggested he give the team a day off from practice so the entire organization could sit down with Revis, his agents and anyone else the star player wanted in an effort to complete a deal.

“I bet it gets done if we do it that way,” Ryan said Wednesday.

The chatty coach honored the code of silence Thursday, offering no comment on anything related to the Revis contract negotiations. Some players weighed in, though.

“I wouldn’t be open to that from the standpoint of, once you do something like that, that means that somebody’s bigger than the team,” wide receiver Braylon Edwards(notes) said. “I love Revis to death and I have no problem with his situation and what he has going on right now. At the end of the day, it’s about his family, it’s about him and the team getting on the same page, and by team, I mean the administration, the heads and the guys that go over those deals and those contracts.”

Offensive tackle Damien Woody(notes) was all in favor of the idea.

“If I could send a message, it would be: Come on up here,” Woody said. “He can just come on up and we’ll meet at some restaurant or wherever the case is. Having practice off, yeah, that would be pretty sweet.”

Johnson said earlier in the week he was not optimistic a deal would be done by the beginning of the season, and told ESPN his “gut feeling” was that Revis would not play this year.

It is believed one major sticking point is the lack of guaranteed money and bonuses included in the Jets’ offers. Tannenbaum disagrees with that assessment, saying the team is flexible on how the guaranteed money is structured.

Still, neither side has budged as the Jets press on without perhaps their best—and most important—player.

Revis is being fined $16,523 for each day he misses, meaning he’s out $198,276. By sitting out, he waived a clause in his contract which would have guaranteed him $20 million over the last two years of his deal. Also, by not reporting by Aug. 10, Revis will not get credit for this year as an accrued season toward free agency

Jets’ Ryan offers plan to settle Revis holdout

CORTLAND, N.Y. (AP)—Rex Ryan’s next starring role: The Negotiator.

The brash New York Jets coach has come up with a game plan to get holdout cornerback Darrelle Revis(notes) back on the field. And, everyone in the organization is invited.

“We’ll call off practice,” Ryan said Wednesday. “We’ll have our whole team there and meet. That way there’s no, ‘he said, she said’ or whatever. Just get the thing done, and let’s work it out that way.”

Don’t laugh. Despite HBO and NFL Films taping the Jets throughout training camp for their “Hard Knocks” series, Ryan wasn’t just playing it up for the cameras.
“Absolutely serious,” he said—with no smile.

“He wants him here,” quarterback Mark Sanchez(notes) told The Associated Press. “I mean, he’s serious. It’s difficult as players because we don’t know exactly down to the number what is really going on. So, it’s hard to say, ‘Well, he should be here,’ or, ‘He shouldn’t be here.’ All I can say is I hope it gets resolves soon without any more holdups.”

When asked if he’d actually make an appeal to Revis’ agents to have an organization-wide meeting, Ryan said: “I’m making it right now. I know it’ll get to them.”

Ryan also shot down agent Neil Schwartz’s accusation that someone in the Jets’ organization lied about whether owner Woody Johnson was invited to a meeting between the sides last Friday. Johnson said he was “rebuffed” by Revis’ camp.

“All right, that’s a blatant joke to me,” Ryan said.

The All-Pro cornerback has missed 11 days, including Wednesday, since the team reported for training camp at SUNY Cortland. He’s scheduled to make $1 million in the fourth year of his six-year rookie deal, but wants to become the league’s highest-paid cornerback.

General manager Mike Tannenbaum declined comment Wednesday night through a team spokesman on the Revis negotiations and Ryan’s plan.

Revis is seeking a deal bigger than the three-year, $45.3 million extension Oakland’s Nnamdi Asomugha(notes) signed last offseason. He has not commented publicly since minicamp in June.

“It’s hard to get a deal done if Darrelle’s not there because ultimately, it’s his future,” Ryan said. “Get him there, whoever’s there. His teammates would love it because they’d get a practice off. So, that’s what I’m calling for right now.”

Revis is being fined $16,523 for each day he misses, meaning he is already out $181,753. By sitting out, he also waived a clause in his contract which would have guaranteed him $20 million over the last two years of his deal. Also, by not reporting by Aug. 10, Revis will not get credit for this year as an accrued season toward free agency.

The holdout situation took a snippy turn Tuesday as both sides went back and forth through the media.

Johnson told 1050 ESPN New York that he was “rebuffed” by Revis’ agents when he asked to be part of a meeting last Friday at a diner in Roscoe, N.Y., attended by Tannenbaum, director of football administration Ari Nissim, Schwartz and business partner Jonathan Feinsod.

“That’s a blatant lie,” Schwartz said. “Whoever gave him that information is incorrect. I wanted Mr. Johnson’s thoughts on the proposal, so why would I not want him there?” Schwartz added that he would meet with Johnson “any time, any place.”

The Jets turned down that contract proposal, and Johnson said Monday he was not optimistic a deal could get done before the season. He also told 1050 ESPN New York that the gap between the sides is “insurmountable.”

“If we’re really trying to be dealmakers and you’ve got everybody’s interest at the best heart,” Ryan said, “then let’s do it this way. I bet it gets done if we do it that way.”

It’s believed one major sticking point is the lack of guaranteed money and bonuses included in the Jets’ offers. Tannenbaum disagrees with that assessment.

“As I said at the start of training camp, our offer to Darrelle Revis conveyed that we are flexible on how the guaranteed money is structured, including the areas of signing bonus, roster bonus and option bonus,” Tannenbaum said in a statement Tuesday night. “This situation revolves around a fundamental disagreement in total compensation.”

Ryan said he was part of a 5-hour sit-down earlier in the offseason with Revis’ agents, when the sides tried to settle the dispute.

“That was a rough 5 hours I spent,” he said. “I was sitting back, saying, ‘You couldn’t pay me enough to be a general manager of a team.’ There’s no way. I mean, it was frustrating for me and I was just there for the one 5-hour period. I almost quit.”

Meanwhile, the team insists it will press on with its Super Bowl hopes whether Revis reports or not.

“Everybody knows what I think of Darrelle and all that kind of stuff,” Ryan said. “It would be much easier to win it with him. But, it’s certainly not impossible to win it without him.”

Jets owner not optimistic about Revis deal

CORTLAND, N.Y. (AP)—It appears Darrelle Revis(notes) won’t be joining his teammates anytime soon.

The New York Jets rejected the latest offer proposed by the All-Pro cornerback’s agents, and owner Woody Johnson is not optimistic a deal can get done before the regular season.

“The answer’s no,” Johnson said tersely Monday, a few hours after agent Neil Schwartz told The Associated Press he was awaiting a response from the Jets.

Schwartz and partner Jonathan Feinsod met with general manager Mike Tannenbaum and director of football administration Ari Nissim at a diner last Friday. They offered a long-term contact proposal for Johnson to review to try to make some headway in the dispute

Jets take field for training camp without Revis

CORTLAND, N.Y. (AP)—Super Bowl or bust? Well, the New York Jets’ big hopes might hinge upon the one player not at training camp.

And, unless a major resolution occurs soon, it could be a while before they see Darrelle Revis(notes) on the field. The All-Pro cornerback sat out the first two practices of camp Monday, locked in a contract dispute.

“We’ve got to get who we have ready to go,” coach Rex Ryan said. “If Darrelle’s not here, then we’re going to move on. We won’t make excuses. … We think we’ll have a great defense anyway, and I know we will. It’s just a lot easier if Revis is out there.”

Revis has been hailed by his coach as the best cornerback he has ever coached. He is now looking to become the highest-paid in the league at his position, seeking a deal higher than the three-year, $45.3 million extension Oakland’s Nnamdi Asomugha(notes) signed last offseason.

“Am I disappointed? Yes,” owner Woody Johnson said. “I would like everything to be clear sailing right to the Super Bowl and we win that. Boom, boom, we’re done.”

Getting a contract done with Revis has turned out to be far more complicated. He is scheduled to make $1 million in the fourth year of his six-year rookie deal, which general manager Mike Tannenbaum has acknowledged Revis has outplayed. Agents Neil Schwartz and Jon Feinsod said Revis was very deliberate with the decision-making process, and his actions would speak louder than words.

By sitting out, Revis is being fined $16,523 for each day he’s not with the team. He also waived a clause in his contract which would have guaranteed him $20 million over the last two years of his deal. The sticking point, both Johnson and Tannenbaum said, is the amount of total compensation—not fully guaranteed money.

“We love Darrelle,” Johnson said. “We want to give him something that he’s comfortable with, but also something that we are comfortable with.”

Tannenbaum said Sunday that the team made three offers in the 72 hours leading up to training camp: a long-term deal that would keep him with the Jets for life, a short-term deal and a face-to-face meeting—and all were denied.

“We’re going to keep trying,” Johnson said. “We’re going to try until we can’t try anymore.”

The team said Johnson told Tannenbaum to reach out to Revis’ agents Monday night to reiterate their willingness to talk. Johnson again offered to be a part of any future meeting.

Dwight Lowery(notes) worked mostly with the first-team defense Monday alongside Antonio Cromartie(notes), who was moved from right cornerback to Revis’ normal left-side spot.

“We’ll adjust as we go along,” Lowery said. “I mean, only Darrelle can answer when he’s going to be here. If he’s not, we’ve just got to do what we need to do until he comes. It’s not like he’s going to be out all 17 weeks of the season.”

Cromartie, acquired from San Diego in the offseason, said it was a bit strange playing on the left side of the field.

“I got comfortable with it today,” he said. “It only takes about a day or two to get used to it.”

Good thing, since he might be practicing there a while. But Cromartie is looking forward to teaming with Revis—at some point.

“All I can say is best of luck to all the receivers we face,” he said. “We’re really going to be the best tandem in NFL history, hands down, that’s our goal.”

Ryan added that whenever Revis returns, he’ll slide right into his usual spot.

“If he signs a contract one day before the first game, Darrelle would be starting,” he said. “It’s as simple as that. I’d love to get him here.”

Meanwhile, quarterback Mark Sanchez(notes) was a full participant in both practices, saying he’s a full-go after being limited in the offseason following surgery on his left knee to repair the patella-stabilizing ligament.

“My knee feels good,” he said.

Ryan is already impressed with how Sanchez looks in camp.

“He’s got a command of this offense like he never had last year, even in the playoffs,” Ryan said. “All that is, and you’ve got to tip your cap to him, the work ethic that he showed in the offseason and rehabbing himself.”

NOTES: DT Kris Jenkins(notes) (hamstring) and QB Kellen Clemens(notes) (left calf) did not practice, as expected. LB-DE Jason Taylor(notes) was a full participant after not fully practicing in minicamp following offseason surgery on his right shoulder. … Ryan was impressed by fullback John Conner(notes), the team’s fifth-round draft pick. “He took the breath out of three linebackers today,” he said. “This kid’s the thumper we think he is

Jets offer $0 guaranteed to Revis; Revis promptly sits down

Stud New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis(notes) did show up for practice Tuesday, which is good. While at practice, though, Revis decided he'd rather not participate in certain plays, and he took a seat and watched other people sweat.

What prompted this poor behavior from Revis? A poor contract offer from the Jets. Revis said the Jets' latest contract offer to him is an "insult" because it included absolutely no guaranteed money, and if true, yeah, that's a good reason to plop yourself down on a bench in the middle of practice. No guaranteed money? For the top cornerback, probably the top defensive player, and maybe the best player, period, in the NFL? That's crazier than JaMarcus Russell(notes) making the Hall of Fame.

Said Revis, according to the Associated Press:

"It was something just to let them know I can play, and I cannot play. That's what it is."

More power to you, sir.

Honestly, I just don't know what the Jets are trying to do here. Sure, you start every contract negotiation with a lowball offer, the player starts with a big number, and ideally, you can meet somewhere in the middle. He is due to make $1 million in the fourth season of his six-year rookie deal, and wants to be the league’s highest-paid cornerback.

But zero dollars guaranteed? Why? The Jets, a lot of people feel, are poised for a run at the Super Bowl. Revis is a key part of that. You're going to alienate him, for what reason exactly?

It's like going into a pawn shop, seeing a $5,000 watch you want, and saying, "Rick, I'd like that watch, but instead of giving you $5,000 for it, how about I just poke the Old Man in the eye, you give me $20, and then I take the watch?" It's just not a sound negotiating tactic.

Hopefully, this all gets sorted out before it becomes a real problem for the Jets. Zero in guarantees for Darrelle Revis? Come on now

Jets’ Revis sits out some plays in protest

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP)—Darrelle Revis’(notes) contract issues are giving him a headache.

The New York Jets’ All-Pro cornerback sat out some plays during practice Monday in protest of his stalled negotiations after initially saying he wasn’t feeling well.

“I was just a little lightheaded today, a hamstring pull, too,” Revis said with a chuckle. “Nah, we’re going through it right now. There’s some things right now and we’re starting to get serious. There’s two different opinions going on, and I’m going to do what’s best for me and my family.”

ADVERTISEMENT


Revis promised last week he would participate in the team’s mandatory minicamp beginning Monday. But toward the end of the first practice, he told defensive backs coach Dennis Thurman his head was bothering him and went to the sideline.

“It was something just to let them know I can play, and I cannot play,” Revis said. “That’s what it is.”

Coach Rex Ryan first defended Revis, saying he’ll never question a player who says something is bothering him physically.

“When they tell you something is not right, you believe them to be a man of their word,” Ryan said. “I believe Darrelle would be that way. Now if he’s pulling a fast one on us, he’s pulling a fast one on us.”

When told Revis acknowledged that he was making a statement, Ryan turned serious.

“Well, he made a statement,” Ryan said. “That would disappoint me, for sure, because he’s out here and competes every day.”

Ryan said he would talk with Revis about the situation, and added that the contract issue would not be a distraction for the team. Revis was a full participant in the afternoon practice.

“If his situation is that he’s got something on his mind and he’s not focused 100 percent, then I really don’t want him out there,” Ryan said. “We practice hard. We go full speed. If that focus isn’t there, then I don’t want to put anybody in jeopardy.”

Revis is upset over the stalled contract talks, and called it an “insult” that the Jets’ offers have contained no guaranteed money. He is due to make $1 million in the fourth season of his six-year rookie deal, and wants to be the league’s highest-paid cornerback.

“You sit here and you tell guys, ‘You’re the best player in the league, you’re our No. 1 priority,’ and you’re not showing loyalty in terms of keeping your core guys here and wanting to keep them here for the future,” Revis said. “If you want to build a dynasty, you’ve got to start being loyal to some of your players who are loyal to you on the field and play the best football they can.”

Oakland’s Nnamdi Asomugha(notes) is the highest-paid cornerback after signing a three-year, $45.3 million extension last offseason.

“This guy has set the bar,” Revis said. “Football in the 1950s, you weren’t getting paid a lot of money and every year the market goes up. Nnamdi set the bar, and me and my team are going to do the best job for me to get what I deserve.”

When asked if he’d be satisfied with $1 more than Asomugha, Revis quipped: “It could be 50 cents more. Give me 50 cents more, and we’ll be OK.”

Revis said general manager Mike Tannenbaum told him in early April that he believed he should be the highest-paid cornerback in the league.

“I think it goes deeper than that,” Revis said. “Loyalty, knowing the type of player you have and treating your player the right way. That’s what I believe. That’s what I’m standing on.”

Revis has not decided whether to sit out training camp in August if a resolution isn’t reached before then.

“How they’ve been going about it, it doesn’t look good,” he said. “We’ll see.”

The Jets can buy back the final two years of the contract, which would be worth $20 million guaranteed. But Revis could lose it all if he misses any mandatory practices.

“I’m aware of everything,” he said. “I know. I have the knowledge. I might be at camp, and I might not.”

The Jets are also dealing with center Nick Mangold(notes) asking for a new deal, as well as left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson(notes) and David Harris(notes) in line for long-term deals.

“It’s not just me. It’s a lot of guys,” Revis said. “They tell us we’re the core guys of this team, so why are you not treating us as one of the core guys?”

Jets’ Revis will be at minicamp, Mangold unsure

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP)—Darrelle Revis(notes) insists he’s not angry or bitter. He just wants to get paid—soon.

The New York Jets’ All-Pro cornerback said Thursday he will attend the team’s mandatory minicamp next week despite his frustration over the slow nature of his contract negotiations.

“It’s different sides agreeing and disagreeing on different things,” Revis said. “This is the process right now and it’s going to continue to keep on going until both sides agree. Right now, I’m just being patient. I’m not mad about anything. I’m here. I want to be here, they know that. And, I know they want me to be here.

ADVERTISEMENT

Revis also still wants to be the highest-paid player at his position, saying “it’s important” to him. He also said the Jets’ second offer was better than their first, but was still subpar.

“The season I had last year was crazy, so this is a lot of leverage that I do have right now to try to get to that second contract and get the money that you deserve,” Revis said. “I don’t know how long I’m going to play.”

The two-time Pro Bowl selection and runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year sat out a voluntary workout last week, but returned for both practices this week.

“Minicamp is coming up next week and I’ll be at minicamp, and no comment on training camp,” he said. “I don’t know. We’ll see when that day comes.”

He is due to make to make just $1 million in the fourth season of his six-year rookie deal. Oakland’s Nnamdi Asomugha(notes) is the highest-paid cornerback after signing a three-year, $45.3 million extension last offseason

Darrelle Revis of New York Jets wants to be highest-paid corner - ESPN New York

Darrelle Revis of New York Jets wants to be highest-paid corner - ESPN New York: "Revis refutes $20M asking priceEmail Print Comments76 By Ohm Youngmisuk
ESPNNewYork.com
Archive
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Darrelle Revis isn't looking to become the $20 million cornerback.
But Revis is looking to get paid and the Jets have submitted a new offer to his agents. Revis said the Jets forwarded the offer last week.
“
I have talked to Coach [Rex] Ryan and [general manager Mike] Tannenbaum himself and they believe I should be the highest-paid player at my position. They understand that and I understand that. It is something that is going to get done. The Jets are family to me.'
”
-- Darrelle Revis
'They sent a proposal over so we are going to look at that and go from there,' Revis said on Thursday. 'If everything is right, if the numbers are right and everything is good, I will sign on the dotted line. If not, if we have to negotiate more, that is something we have to do.'
Revis, who is set to make $1 million in the fourth year of the six-year deal he signed as a rookie, said he won't be holding out for $20-million-a-year as reported by one website.
'I don't know where the $20 million came from,' Revis said. 'I never told you guys that. Don't know who brought that up but I'm sure it is not going to be up in that area. That's insane. That would be great. Who wouldn't want $20 million? But that is a high price.'"