Darrelle Revis won’t give specifics, but he’s making it clear that the New England Patriots’ offer wasn’t near what he wanted.
Revis and the Patriots parted ways after one very successful season together when the cornerback decided to return to the New York Jets on a five-year, $70 million agreement. The deal with the Jets reportedly guarantees Revis $39 million, which apparently is a lot more than the Patriots were willing to give him.
Speaking on ESPN Radio’s “The Michael Kay Show,” Revis said Wednesday the Patriots’ offer paled in comparison to the final offer from the Jets.
“I’m not going to speak (about) the numbers, but I had the option, the $20 million option, that they could’ve exercised and they didn’t,” Revis told Kay per Boston.com. “We tried to work on a deal, and we felt that it wasn’t in the ballpark of what we were looking for. We just moved on and they moved on too, I had a great conversation with Bill (Belichick), and we moved forward just like they did, that’s how you look at it.”
Patriots owner Robert Kraft spoke Monday at the NFL’s league meetings and tried to explain the decision. Kraft told reporters he thought the Patriots “made a very competitive offer,” and “as a fan,” he wanted the New England to retain Revis.
Of course, it’s not that simple, and the Patriots appear ready to place financial emphasis on the long-term picture, which made signing Revis even more difficult.
“We just don’t think about short-term decision,” Kraft explained. “For example, next year we have three very good young defensive players coming up and we have to factor that. We just don’t look at this year; we look out at the next few years. We’ve done OK doing that. As a fan, in March and April, I hate to lose him. But our real focus is what goes on in the fall and winter.
“I put my faith and respect with (Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.) We have a lot of discussions and he’s done pretty good the last 15 years. The fan in me argues all the time with him. But he has a pretty good record.”
Thumbnail photo via Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports Images
