Hours after the Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefscut ties with their franchise rushing leaders, the New York Jets are moving on from their greatest defensive star in franchise history.
The Jets have informed cornerback Darrelle Revis of his impending release, the team announced Tuesday.
The move was fully expected after Revis was arraigned on five criminal charges stemming from his alleged involvement in a physical altercation earlier this month.
Coming off a nightmare season, Revis was due to count $15.3 million against the salary cap for an organization squarely in rebuilding mode. By cutting the 31-year-old, the Jets will save roughly $9 million in cap space.
"Darrelle Revis is one of the greatest players to ever wear a Jets uniform," Jets owner Woody Johnson said in a statement released by the team. "His combination of talent, preparation and instincts is rare and helped him become one of the most dominant players of his generation. I appreciate Darrelle's contributions to this organization and, wherever his career takes him, his home will always be here with the Jets."
Speaking to the New York Post on Thursday, Jets coach Todd Bowles said the Jets' decision to part ways with Revis had nothing to do with the criminal charges he faces. "It's shocking because I know the man," Bowles said about Revis being charged. "Forget the football player, I know the man."
There's a strong argument to be made that no cornerback ever played the position at a higher level than Revis did as the centerpiece of Rex Ryan's defense from 2009 through 2011.
That incredible 2009 season featured a career-high six interceptions and a league-best 31 passes defensed while holding a string of No. 1 receivers -- Randy Moss, Andre Johnson, Terrell Owens, Chad Johnson, Steve Smith and Roddy White -- under 40 yards. Ryan went on to hail Revis' brilliant campaign as the best year a cornerback has ever enjoyed.
In the prime of his career, no NFL player was more competitive, more intense or more prepared than Revis. He took it as an insult if his practice opponent was not properly preparing him for each game. He was often lauded for beating receivers to their spot, running their routes as well as they did.
A seven-time Pro Bowl selection, Revis also earned four first-team All Pro nods and a Super Bowl XLIX ring with the Patriots.
"Darrelle is the consummate professional," Jets coach Todd Bowles said Tuesday, "and one of the greatest to ever play the cornerback position."
As dominant as he was in earning the "Revis Island" moniker in his prime, the future Hall of Famer's play fell off a cliff last season. Among all players targeted at least 75 times, per NFL Research, Revis' 108.0 passer rating allowed was the highest figure in the league.
Much like Peterson, Revis will be a complicated evaluation for interested teams when the new league year starts March 9. In addition to the legal issues that could result in a suspension or an appearance on the Commissioner Exempt List, potential suitors will have football questions.
Is Revis willing and able to transition from cornerback to safety? Does he have a realistic view of his own ability at this stage of his career? Is he still committed to football after one December report suggested that his heart is no longer in it?
As Revis and the Jets say their goodbyes, the rest of the football world is left to wonder if this is the end of the road.
