The New York Jets invested a hefty sum to bring back Darrelle Revis. Now it’s up to him to deliver the goods.
Revis turns 30 in July and just signed a five-year contract, meaning he’ll be 35 when his deal expires. That might raise a red flag for some front offices, and Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan recently was asked whether he believes Revis’ performance will fall off in the next few years.
Maccagnan responded by comparing Revis to an All-Pro cornerback who recently announced his retirement: Champ Bailey.
“Champ was able to play at a very high level well into his 30s,” Maccagnan said on a conference call with media, via The Associated Press. “I kind of view Darrelle in the same status.”
Maccagnan worked in the Washington Redskins’ scouting department while Bailey played there. The 12-time Pro Bowl corner certainly played at high level well into his 30s while on the Denver Broncos, earning Pro Bowl honors for four consecutive seasons from 2009 to 2012 after turning 30 in 2008. Age finally caught up to Bailey in 2013, as the then-35-year-old played in just five games for the Broncos. He retired one year later.
Revis certainly shows no signs of slowing down in the interim. He earned his sixth Pro Bowl selection in 2014 while helping the New England Patriots win their fourth Super Bowl title, and he’s still among the best — if not the best — cornerbacks in the league.
You can bet Maccagnan and his staff believed that when they agreed to shell out $70 million, including $40 million guaranteed, to bring Revis back to the Meadowlands.
“I think we just viewed him probably as one of the better players available in free agency,” Maccagnan said. “And were as aggressive as we could be to get him back with the Jets.”
Thumbnail photo via William Perlman/The Star-Ledger via USA TODAY Sports Images
