Darrelle Revis is now wearing pewter as he calls Tampa Bay home.
Credit: Getty Images
The zip code for “Revis Island” now reads 03367.
Jets fans will be in a difficult spot this Sunday against the Buccaneers as a player who should have retired a Jet will instead be on the other team. Darrelle Revis, arguably the greatest player in franchise history, will be wearing No. 24 in Tampa Bay’s red and black jersey when he goes up against his old team.
Revis, of course, was jettisoned this offseason by the Jets for a 2013 first-round pick and a second-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft, a preemptive move with the star cornerback likely to bolt via free agency after this season. It was in Jets green that Revis made his name the past six seasons as the game’s best cornerback and arguably most feared defensive player. He is just the latest star player to come through the Jets for a short while and then leave prematurely.
And now, he is the enemy on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium although he will likely be cheered by the Jets faithful.
“I’ve got a new start ahead of me with a new team and I’m excited,” Revis said. “This is home for me now. This is where I live and this is where I work.”
There is no animosity from Revis, who could have opted out of his Jets contract after this year and would have been set to become a free agent. With his asking price likely very high, the Jets had to decide to recoup some value for one of the game’s best defensive players. This especially became true after he suffered a knee injury last year in Week 3 that cost him the rest of the season.
Like Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes, Revis might be a game-time decision as he continues to push to be healthy for Week 1.
“I don’t know [if he will play]. We’ll keep talking as the week goes on. We’ve communicated very well throughout this process and I don’t want to put words in his mouth because at the end of the day he’s the one who has to go out and do it,” Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano said. “He needs to feel like he can. I’ll hold my opinion and my judgment. I’ll let him decide and certainly help him and discuss it. It could come as soon as he feels like, ‘Hey, I’m going to do this thing.”
Follow Jets beat writer Kristian Dyer on Twitter @KristianRDyer.
