New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis has a simple explanation for why he’s not playing up to his usual All-Pro standard this season.
“Because I’m old,” the 31-year-old told the New York Daily News after the Jets’ 9-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Simple enough. Players tend to regress as they age — not everyone can be Tom Brady — so there inevitably was going to come a time when Revis Island was far more welcoming to opposing wide receivers. But Revis’ decline has been so sudden and so pronounced that it has to be incredibly concerning to the Jets, who signed the seven-time Pro Bowl selection to a five-year, $70 million contract before last season that included $39 million in guaranteed money.
“You have bumps in the road,” Revis told the Daily News. “Are you going to see a one catch for one yard game? Probably not. I was 23, 24 years old then. That’s just not where it’s at. Can I execute better and do things better? That’s going to come. That’s definitely going to come down the road.”
This isn’t the first time Revis has pointed to his age amid his 2016 struggles. He also said in the week leading up to the Jets’ Week 8 game against the Cleveland Browns that his body was “breaking down,” casting even more doubt over whether he’d ever bounce back from his sluggish first half of the season.
Revis likely will be a Hall of Famer when all is said and done. And he has a ring after winning Super Bowl XLIX with the New England Patriots. But the Pats have to be happy with their decision to let Revis walk following the 2014 season. Although Revis played a huge role in New England’s championship success and the organization was widely criticized for not bringing back the former shutdown corner, it’s now the Jets, not the Patriots, who are burdened by his poor play and unappealing contract.
“I think people look at the price tag and not the whole body of work on what I’ve done in this game,” Revis said, according to the New York Daily News. “It will be forever remembered. I’m not being cocky about it. The numbers are there. They show. I shut down some of the best of the best playing man-to-man coverage.”
Unfortunately for the Jets, that was then and this is now. And Revis — all 31 years of him — no longer is very good.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
