FLORHAM PARK, N.J. _ Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan doesn't have buyer's remorse about anything _ not his overpriced quarterback, his fading shutdown corner or his star defensive end, whose tardiness issue predates this season.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, the $12-million quarterback, flamed out over the first nine games and leads the NFL with 13 interceptions and owns the worst quarterback rating (67.6). Even so, Maccagnan said: "I have no regrets about bringing Ryan back. We felt very good about the season Ryan had previously."
When pressed on Darrelle Revis' declining play, Maccagnan said of his highest-paid player: "Darrelle has obviously set a very high standard in how he's played in his past. We still think he's a good football player, we still think he's done good things for us this season.
"... There are glitches in his play but he has played well at times this year. We have six games to go, we'll see how the season progresses and we'll re-evaluate at the end of the season."
With the Jets on the verge of missing the playoffs for a sixth straight season, the second-year GM acknowledged he was "obviously disappointed" by their 3-7 record. But for the bulk of his 37-minute sit-down with reporters on Wednesday, he instead focused on the positives. "We do know where we want to be," Maccagnan said.
The problem is, the Jets are nowhere close to that point. And the questions about Revis, Fitzpatrick and Muhammad Wilkerson didn't stop, despite Maccagnan's best efforts to change the topic.
After drawing the proverbial line in the sand with Fitzpatrick in the offseason, the Jets signed him to a one-year, $12-million deal in late July. "Of course, I think everybody, and Ryan included, would probably say he holds himself to a fairly high standard," Maccagnan said. "I'm sure there are aspects that he would like to _ we all would like to have better success on the field as a team. But from the standpoint of bringing Ryan back, no, I don't have regrets on that."
But when asked if he has any desire to re-sign the veteran who turns 34 on Nov. 24, Maccagnan said that was a question better left to the offseason _ a response he used repeatedly throughout his second-floor conference room session.
On Oct. 27, Revis said in an interview with Newsday that his "body is breaking down," adding: "How many corners are 31 right now in the league?" During training camp, he said he had already thought about an eventual position switch to safety. "At some point I'm not going to be able to play the cornerback position the way I want to play it," said Revis, who signed a five-year, $70-million deal in March 2015. "I don't want to just be out there playing the cornerback position and hurting the team."
But when asked about Revis' admission, and the fact that he recently described himself as "old," Maccagnan said: "Well, somebody told me he laughed when he said he was 'old,' so I don't know if it was part of it ... I didn't really hear him say that, so I'm not going to make any comment on that."
He did, however, say that he's "happy" with Revis' effort in games.
Revis has zero interceptions and two passes defensed.
Does Maccagnan believe he is still a top-five NFL cornerback?
"We'll reserve those for the end of the season," the GM said.
Revis' contract has $39 million fully guaranteed, which included his 2015 and '16 salaries, plus $6 million of his 2017 salary.
Maccagnan also declined to address Muhammad Wilkerson's recent benching or his repeated issues with lateness. The Jets gave the defensive end, who has 2.5 sacks, a five-year, $86-million contract in July.
"I feel good about that going forward," Maccagnan said.
