In 2023, New York Jets legend Darrelle Revis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This week, he was inducted into another one.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell created the Bag Hall of Fame (BHOF).
“I want to reward the players who did the best job of maximizing their leverage and getting paid for their ability. Players who pushed holdouts to the next level, players who bet on themselves and were handsomely rewarded for doing so, [and] players who even managed to represent themselves in negotiations and pocket millions of dollars that would have otherwise gone to an agent,” Barnwell explained.
Revis was part of an eight-person class that was inducted this week for his efforts off the field.
“I’m not sure any player was able to concentrate more significant contracts in a shorter period of time than Revis, who was essentially finished as a pro player before turning 32 years old. After spending the first three years of his career on a rookie deal, he managed to sign four significant deals in a six-year span, including three multiyear pacts and a one-year contract for what amounted to a franchise tag with the Patriots in 2014,” Barnwell said.
Revis Maximized His Bank Account, Frustrated Jets Fans in the Process
Revis earned the nickname “MEvis” from Jets fans for his affinity for always trying to renegotiate his contract.
“As was famously depicted on that year’s ‘Hard Knocks,’ he held out and drove a hard bargain with then-Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum. The two sides eventually agreed on a four-year, $46 million deal, with Revis making a combined $32.5 million for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. While there was no salary cap in 2010, that’s roughly the equivalent of a cornerback taking home about $75 million in cash today. No corner in the league comes close to that on their current deal,” Barnwell explained.
On top of the moolah, Revis and his representation made sure to include a no-franchise-tag-clause in his deal ahead of the 2013 season. Even more leverage for the star corner.
After the 2012 season, the Jets fired Tannenbaum. He was replaced by John Idzik in 2013.
Idzik was faced with a decision: pay Revis again or trade him. The new general manager chose the latter, shipping him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to avoid the contractual headaches.
“It became quite evident to us that there is a substantial difference between Darrelle’s view of his value and ours,” Idzik explained during a conference call in April of 2013 via ESPN. “We felt there would have to be a significant change on either side in order to create a path toward reaching an agreeable deal for either side.”
Bygones Proved to Be Bygones After Pro Football Hall of Fame Knock
Despite all the contract headaches and playing for the Jets’ bitter rival, the Patriots, all was put aside in 2023. Revis was celebrated as much, if not more so, than any Jets great in Canton, Ohio.
FIRST-BALLOT HALL OF FAMER @Revis24 🏝 pic.twitter.com/kMJoCzfXYW
— New York Jets (@nyjets) August 4, 2023
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
In the moment, fans were frustrated with the constant Revis versus the team contract negotiations. However, when looking back, Jets fans can respect that Revis was simply doing what any player would, trying to maximize their value.
“In all, between signing that first extension with the Jets in 2010 and finishing his career with the Chiefs in 2017, Revis took home more than $101 million — nearly $26 million more than any other cornerback in the league over that span,” Barnwell stated.
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