FLORHAM PARK, N.J. _ The report would be unsettling to any Jets fan, but the man in the middle of it all remained unmoved.
Citing an anonymous "confidant," the Daily News reported that Darrelle Revis had lost his drive. Even worse, he didn't want to play anymore. But was any of it true, Revis was asked Thursday.
"I'm under contract until 2018," was his simple, if unclear, reply. In another moment, he added: "It's a down year. It's a down year for the team. It's a down year for me personally."
It certainly is. Amid incessant talk of his lack of production, Revis is also suing his former agents for allegedly stealing money from his endorsements. Now, there's this, a report that seems to bolster assessments that Revis isn't giving his all.
"I'm not, I can't _ people say a lot of things," he said. "I can't sit here and justify where reports come and where these things come ... I don't know the report. I don't know what source said this or whatnot. I'm here to play football. That's what I'm here to do."
On Wednesday, the Daily News quoted an unnamed source saying that Revis was "done."
"If he had his way, he'd be done right now," the paper reported. "He doesn't want to play anymore. He's made a lot of money."
What is objectively true is that Revis, 31, has had a sharp decline since last season. His body is worn down after 10 years in the NFL and his deterioration is only more marked because of his long history of dominance. Once upon a time, he was the best cornerback in the league _ a virtuoso at press coverage and an exhausting assignment for even the best receiver _ but now, an ACL injury later, he's lost more than a step and opposing offenses are feasting.
The problem is compounded by his salary _ $17 million this year _ and the Jets' ineffectiveness around him. His five-year deal is valued at $70 million, but it's clear now that will be far, far too steep of a price when he's 34. He's guaranteed at least $6 million next year, whether he's on the team or not.
Revis did not say he would take a pay cut next year, but his language indicates that it's not out of the question.
"We'll see," he said. "We'll see what happens next year. A lot of things are going on so we'll see. We'll figure it out."
As for everything else, Revis seems circumspect. Over and over Thursday, he questioned the source of the report and said he hadn't read the story. That didn't stop him from acknowledging the reality of this 3-8 season: The Jets are all but done, and a veteran like Revis knows it.
"I've been in these situations before," he said. "You know it's not the year for us, so we've got these last couple of games, this month of December to actually come out with some positives at the end of the season and focus on the offseason. For me, personally, my focus is on the future of this football team."
The question is, will he be part of it?
