Darrelle Revis

2023 NFL Hall Of Fame Class Unveiled

February 9th, 2023 at 10:14pm CST by Adam La Rose

As part of tonight’s NFL Honors program, the 2023 Hall of Fame class has been revealed. Here is the full breakdown of this year’s honorees:

Ronde Barber, cornerback (1997-2012)

After a long wait, the Buccaneers’ all-time interceptions leader is headed to Canton. Barber played all 16 of his NFL seasons in Tampa Bay, helping the team win Super Bowl XXXVII. The former third-rounder is the only player in league history to record more than 45 interceptions and 25 sacks, figures which helped him earn five Pro Bowl and three first-team All-Pro selections. A 2000s All-Decade member, Barber spent much of his career in a class of his own with respect to slot corners in particular and enjoyed historic longevity.

Darrelle Revis, cornerback (2007-2017)*

A first-round pick of the Jets, “Revis Island” was located in New York for six years to start the first-round pick’s career. That stretch saw Revis record an all time single-season record in pass deflections in 2009 (31). Revis earned five of his seven career Pro Bowl nods and three of his four first-team All-Pro honors during his time with the Jets, which included a two-year return to the Empire State in 2015 and 2016. The Super Bowl XLIX winner also spent time with the Buccaneers, Patriots and Chiefs, totaling 29 interceptions and being named a 2010s All-Decade member.

Joe Thomas, left tackle (2007-2017)*

Not much went right for the Browns during Thomas’ career, but the former No. 3 overall pick was a sterling model of consistent and elite offensive line play. Thomas was an immediate starter as a rookie and did not miss a snap until suffering an injury in the final campaign of his career. The Wisconsin alum maintained his status as arguably the NFL’s premier pass protector throughout his tenure, and will go down as one of the top blindside blockers not only of his generation (as evidenced by his inclusion on the 2010s All-Decade team) but all time.

Zach Thomas, linebacker (1996-2008)

Another defender who endured a lengthy stay as a HOF finalist, Thomas spent all but his final season in Miami. The former fifth-rounder became entrenched as the leader of the Dolphins’ defense during his hugely productive tenure with the team. A five-time first-team All-Pro, Thomas racked up seven Pro Bowls while collecting 1,734 tackles (the fifth-highest mark in league history). He was thus an easy selection for the 2000s All-Decade team.

DeMarcus Ware, linebacker (2005-2016)

A first-round pick of the Cowboys, Ware quickly established himself as a dominant pass rusher. He led the NFL in sacks twice during his time in Dallas. A nine-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro and 2000s All-Decade member, Ware spent the final three years of his NFL tenure in Denver. It was with the Broncos that he won Super Bowl 50, capping off a pro career which saw him record 138.5 sacks, a figure which ranks third amongst 21st-century players and ninth all time.

* – denotes first year of eligibility

As well as the above members, Canton will also be welcoming former Bears and Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley, former Jets and Colts defensive lineman Joe Klecko and former Bengals cornerback Ken Riley as senior finalists. The senior head coaching finalist is Don Coryell, an alum of the Chargers and Cardinals.

The only member of a losing team to be named Super Bowl MVP, Howley (who won such acclaim in Super Bowl V) earned five straight All-Pro honors from 1966-70. He helped the Cowboys to their first Super Bowl win a year later. One of the most versatile D-linemen of his era, Klecko shined at both defensive end and D-tackle as part of the Jets’ “New York Sack Exchange” pass rush. He ripped off an unofficial — since sacks did not become a full-fledged stat until 1982 — 20.5-sack season in 1981 while helping the Jets to the playoffs. Riley’s 65 interceptions are tied for fifth all time. Although Riley never earned Pro Bowl recognition, the Bengals ballhawk landed first- or second-team All-Pro acclaim three times during his 15-year career.

Among the NFL’s signature passing-game innovators, Coryell made the most of his HC opportunities in St. Louis and San Diego. Coryell (111-83-1) led the Cardinals to back-to-back playoff berths in 1974 and ’75 — the franchise’s lone non-strike-year postseason advancement between 1948 and 1998 — and ignited the Chargers’ offense upon taking the reins in 1978. The Bolts ranked first in passing offense in each of Coryell’s first five seasons. Featuring three Hall of Famers (Dan Fouts, Kellen Winslow, Charlie Joiner), the “Air Coryell” attack helped the Bolts to four consecutive playoff berths from 1979-82.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Darrelle Revis Retires From NFL

July 18th, 2018 at 10:04am CST by Zachary Links

Darrelle Revis announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday. This was the expected move after an offseason in which Revis’ name has hardly been mentioned.

“For the past eleven years, it has truly been an honor to showcase one of my greatest gifts to the world. Today, I am closing a chapter in my life that I once creamed of as a kid and I am officially retiring from the National Football League,” Revis said in a press release. “The game of football has opened doors for me I once thought were nearly impossible to get through. My passion to play the game at an elite level brought fun and excitement to the term “shutdown corner,” which was nearly on the verge of extinction. Covering some of the toughest assignments in league history was a challenge every Sunday, but also an honor within this game we all love. I would like to thank my coaches, teammates, and mentors who have made a significant impact in my life and helped to create amazing memories that my family and I will cherish for a lifetime. I’m excited as to what lies ahead as I pursue new ventures in different industries. Long live Revis Island.”

Revis, 33, was one of the league’s very best cornerbacks during his first stint with the Jets. After six seasons, four Pro Bowl nods, and three First-Team All-Pro selections, Revis was traded to the Buccaneers in 2013.

Revis was released after one season with Tampa Bay, which led him to the Patriots. Much to the chagrin of Jets fans, Revis had a stellar season and helped the Pats capture a Super Bowl win over the Seahawks.

The Jets attempted to rewrite history by signing Revis in the 2015 offseason, but the five-year, $70MM deal ($39MM guaranteed) given to him turned out to be one of the franchise’s biggest blunders in recent memory. The deal was supposed to allow Revis to retire as a Jet, but the team had no choice but to jettison him after two seasons.

Then, last year, the Chiefs signed Revis in November with the hope that he could help bolster their secondary. Unfortunately, Revis was nowhere near his 2014 form and some questioned his work ethic. After an offseason with no real chatter, Revis is calling it quits.

Revis’ second act with the Jets was a disappointment, but he will be remembered as one of the best cornerbacks of his time. The receivers who went to “Revis Island” from 2007-2014 were largely nullified, which is why Revis is a surefire bet for the Hall of Fame.

Chiefs Cut Darrelle Revis

February 8th, 2018 at 3:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs announced that they have released Darrelle Revis. The cornerback would have been guaranteed $8.8MM if he were still on the Chiefs’ roster on March 19, so the move comes as no surprise.

The Chiefs signed Revis in November with the hope that he could help bolster their secondary. The results were not great – Revis’ overall score from Pro Football Focus was a below-average 57.2. If he had enough snaps to qualify, he would have been outside of PFF’s top 90 cornerbacks for the year. In his final year with the Jets, Revis’ graded out as PFF’s No. 64 corner in 2016, which would place him right at the tail end of acceptable play. Clearly, Revis is on the backend of his career and it might just be over given the questions about his work ethic and motivation.

In five games with KC, Revis totaled two passes defensed and eleven tackles. His last season as an elite cornerback came with the Patriots in 2014 when he started in all 16 games and tallied five interceptions en-route to a Pro Bowl nod and a First-Team All-Pro selection.

Between the trade of Alex Smith and release of Revis, the Chiefs have created roughly $21.5MM in cap space. There are still holes to fill, but the Chiefs have positioned themselves well for what lies ahead in March.

With Revis out of the picture, the Chiefs may move the newly-acquired Kendall Fuller to the outside, pairing him with Marcus Peters as a starting cornerback with Steven Nelson handling the slot. Alternatively, the Chiefs could still go shopping for a CB2, which would allow Fuller to continue at nickel.

CB Notes: Revis, Lane, Packers

January 15th, 2018 at 12:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Darrelle Revis does not want to retire despite turning in another disappointing season, albeit an abbreviated one. The 32-year-old cornerback played in six Chiefs games, counting Kansas City’s first-round defeat, and is signed through 2018. However, the Chiefs are fairly certain to move on from him — at least, at his current rate. Revis is due $10MM at the start of the 2018 league year.

“The material I put on [film] from the little time I had, not going through training camp and being here for the installs, I was OK,” Revis said, via Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. “I wasn’t great or my best ever. No way. But at the same time, for what I came in here and was asked to do, for the most part I’m happy with it.”

Revis, whose play Chiefs DC Bob Sutton called “pretty remarkable” considering he joined the team in late November, said he wants to be with a team throughout the offseason in 2018. He will turn 33 before training camps begin. He did not rule out a return to the Chiefs.

“You never know with these things,” Revis said. “This is my fourth team. Rosters always change. Even if we went the distance and won the Super Bowl, that team changes as well. I understand the situation.

“… I just feel like if I had been here during those [offseason practices] and training camp practices I would have had more reps and been more comfortable. I still think I can contribute. I think a lot of people kind of criticized me because of how I played in the past but for the most part the role I played here was simply to contribute. The role coach gave me was to play nickel and that’s what I came to do.”

Here’s the latest from various cornerback situations around the league.

Seahawks corner Jeremy Lane ran into trouble early Monday morning when he was arrested for a DUI, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports. This arrest occurred on or near Mercer Island (near Seattle), per Henderson, who adds the cornerback was booked into jail at 5:30am PT. He was released on his own recognizance approximately four hours later. Henderson notes the Seahawks were already expected to move on from Lane after this season, one that saw him nearly traded to the Texans before a failed physical sent him back to Seattle. The 27-year-old defender is set to make $6MM in base salary in each of the next two seasons. It would cost the Seahawks $2.5MM in dead money to release Lane while providing nearly $5MM in cap savings.
Damarious Randall‘s offseason began with a hand surgery to correct a problem the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Michael Cohen reports (on Twitter) the Packers cornerback played through all season. Cohen called it a minor procedure, while ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports (on Twitter) that operation will sideline Randall for up to two months.
The twice-franchise-tagged Trumaine Johnson isn’t a lock to leave Los Angeles.

Details On Darrelle Revis’ Deal With Chiefs

November 28th, 2017 at 11:33am CST by Zachary Links

Darrelle Revis‘ new deal with the Chiefs could prove to be very lucrative for this season and next. After Revis is done double-dipping in 2017, he could collect up to $13.5MM in 2018, Field Yates of ESPN.com hears.

That’s a ton of money for a player who some say is over the hill and under-motivated, but the Chiefs felt they had to take the risk to beef up their secondary. It also helps that KC can bail on the deal without major penalty before the start of next season.

Revis’ $1.015MM base salary for next year becomes guaranteed if he is on the roster on the fifth day of the 2018 league year, plus $185K more available through a workout bonus. If he stays on the roster, he’ll earn a weekly roster bonus of $550K for each game. All in all, he’d see $8.8MM in bonuses if he remains with the team throughout the season – even if he’s on injured reserve or the physically unable to perform list.

The Chiefs’ success this year could also impact Revis’ 2018 paycheck. The cornerback will get $1.75MM in roster bonuses for next year if he plays more than half of the snaps in a victorious AFC Championship Game for the Chiefs. If he plays more than half of the snaps in a Super Bowl LII win, he’ll boost that number to $3.5MM. That bonus would be paid out to Revis on the first day of the 2018 league year. Interestingly, he can still qualify for the SB bonus even if he does not achieve the conference game bonus.

For the rest of this year, the veteran will earn roughly $353K per week, the total of his Chiefs pay plus the prorated portion of his $6MM guarantee from the Jets. There’s a lot of money (potentially) being paid out to Revis, but it will be all worthwhile for KC if he can help right the ship for this season. And, if he looks a lot like his 2016 version, the Chiefs can rid themselves of the obligation pretty easily.

Revis had 43 tackles, one interception, and five passes defended in 15 games for Gang Green last year. He graded out as the league’s No. 64 corner in 2016, per Pro Football Focus, a far cry from where he was in his first Jets stint.

AFC West Notes: A. Smith, Broncos, M. Williams

November 26th, 2017 at 12:43pm CST by Rory Parks

After jumping out to a 5-0 start this year, the Chiefs have lost four of their last five games, making themselves vulnerable to the surging Chargers and even the Raiders in the AFC West. The team’s offensive struggles have contributed to that swoon, and quarterback Alex Smith has fallen off a bit after a torrid first half. He is coming off a miserable performance in Kansas City’s loss to the lowly Giants last week, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that the Chiefs would only turn to rookie first-rounder Patrick Mahomes if Smith were to get hurt. Smith will remain under center the rest of the year, though Kansas City still plans to shop him in the offseason as it prepares to usher in the Mahomes era.

Now for more notes from the AFC West:

New Chiefs CB Darrelle Revis will likely make his Kansas City debut next week, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Paxton Lynch is back under center for the Broncos, and Rapoport (video link) says they want him to start the rest of the year so they can fairly evaluate what they have in last year’s first-rounder. The team will run a much simpler offensive scheme for Lynch than what it employed under former OC Mike McCoy, and Lynch has been encouraged to simply do what he does best, which is run around and improvise.
We learned earlier today that the Raiders are likely to fire OC Todd Downing at season’s end, and that McCoy is an obvious candidate to replace him. Within that story, we cited another La Canfora article in which the CBS scribe reported that the McCoy firing might have been just the tip of the iceberg for the Broncos. He suggests that there is speculation that head coach Vance Joseph could be out after just one year on the job, and at the very least, that Denver could shake up other parts of its coaching staff.
Broncos GM John Elway has taken a lot of heat for his club’s 3-7 record in 2017, but Mike Klis of 9News.com says that criticism is largely unwarranted. In an interesting piece that pits Elway’s draft results against those of his long-tenured colleagues, Elway comes out near the top of the heap of NFL general managers, which makes Klis believe he will be able to turn the ship around in 2018.
We learned Friday that Chargers rookie wideout Mike Williams avoided an ACL tear during his team’s Thanksgiving Day win over the Cowboys, and Rapoport tweets that Williams has been diagnosed with a bone bruise. While Williams is expected to miss next week’s contest against the Browns, he will be week-to-week thereafter, which is a big deal for a team that has forced its way back into the playoff hunt.

AFC Notes: Revis, Thomas, Booker, Bullock

November 23rd, 2017 at 10:34am CST by GregGoldstein

Darrelle Revis is back in the NFL after signing with the Chiefs yesterday. Now we’re learning a little more about what his new contract looks like. The 32-year-old cornerback’s deal is for two seasons and has team incentives that could up the overall value of the agreement, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Rapoport adds that Revis will receive an extra $1.75 MM if he plays in an AFC title game and an additional $1.75 MM if Kansas City wins the Super Bowl. The Jets would not be on the hook for that extra cash. It remains to be seen how effective the former All-Pro will be in his return, but he does add depth to a secondary that’s allowing the fifth most yards through the air so far this season.

In order to make room for Revis on the active roster, the Chiefs have waived defensive tackle Cam Thomas, reports Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. The 30-year-old defensive lineman had only played in game this season after appearing in all 16 games from 2013-2015. Releasing Thomas leaves the team without a backup nose tackle as the only backup defensive lineman on the roster are Rakeem Nunez-Roches and Jarvis Jenkins.
The Broncos offense has not produced this season, but the running game may change in a shift to running back Devontae Booker according to their new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, reports Nick Kosmider of The Denver Post. “Book’ has really been playing some good football,” interim offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave said Wednesday. “I think Book deserves more touches. Obviously, we’ll see how the game goes.” Kosmider notes that the second-year back’s workload has been increasing in the past few weeks. Booker missed the first three games of the season recovering from an injury to his wrist. He carried the ball a season-high 14 times this past Sunday. He hadn’t passed single-digit carries this entire year until the team’s game versus the Bengals in Week 11.
Bengals kicker Randy Bullock has missed two extra points in two weeks, which has head coach Marvin Lewis publicly noting his weak grip on the kicking job. Lewis was open about Bullock’s struggles when talking to the media yesterday, including Jim Owczarski of Cincinnati.com. “It does affect our patience level,” and later clarifying that “We’re committed to Randy for this week.” However, despite the fact that the team is sticking with Bullock in Week 12, it should be noted that the 27-year-old has only made about 81% of his field goal attempts in his career.

Chiefs Sign Darrelle Revis

November 22nd, 2017 at 4:04pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs announced that they have signed Darrelle Revis. He’s still collecting a paycheck from the Jets, so the Chiefs’ deal for him will help to lessen New York’s obligation. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that it’s a two-year deal for the cornerback, with no guaranteed money in 2018. He’ll be making the minimum in 2017.

“Darrelle is a proven player in this league and we are excited to add him to our secondary,” Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach said. “He’s had a Hall of Fame career and his leadership and playing experience will be valuable to our defense.”

Revis has 485 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 137 passes defensed, 29 interceptions, six forced fumbles, and 12 fumble recoveries for his career. He also has a Super Bowl ring thanks to his time with the Patriots and seven Pro Bowl nods. He started all 15 of his games for the Jets in 2016, compiling 43 tackles, one interception, and five passes defended. He ultimately ranked as the league’s No. 64 corner in 2016, per Pro Football Focus

“We’re excited to add Darrelle to the roster,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. “He has experience and familiarity with Bob Sutton’s defense, he’s a team guy and we feel like a player of his caliber can help our football team.”

Revis had been determined to play this season, but there wasn’t a whole lot of intrigue in the veteran. Besides a pair of unidentified teams expressing interest back in May, we only heard definitively that the Chargers (along with a “handful” of other teams) had reached out to the cornerback.

Reid told Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star that Revis will eventually slide into the starting lineup (Twitter link). With All-Pro Marcus Peters manning one side of the field, that means former sixth-rounder Kenneth Acker will likely move to the bench. The Chiefs could ultimately look to move on from one of their cornerbacks, as they’re also rostering Terrance Mitchell, Steven Nelson, and Phillip Gaines.

Chargers Interested In CB Darrelle Revis

September 24th, 2017 at 9:44am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chargers were among a “handful” of teams that recently contacted free agent cornerback Darrelle Revis, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.

Los Angeles is in need of defensive back help after losing starting corner Jason Verrett to season-ending surgery, but Schefter reports the Chargers actually reached out to Revis before they placed Verrett on injured reserve. The Chargers currently only have four cornerbacks on their active roster, with starters Casey Hayward and Trevor Williams backed up by Desmond King and Michael Davis.

Revis still intends to play in 2017, per Schefter, although he hasn’t yet met with any clubs. Interest in Revis has been scant, as only two unidentified teams had inquired on Revis prior to the Chargers reaching out. Asking price could be an issue — because Revis is still earning $6MM from the Jets, he’d essentially have to play for free (unless a club is willing to sign him to a $6MM+ deal).

Revis, 32, certainly isn’t the shutdown corner he was in days gone by, but he’s still a viable starting option. He graded out as the league’s No. 64 corner in 2016, per Pro Football Focus, which would place him right at the tail end of acceptable play. However, one general manager told Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News he wouldn’t go after Revis even if the veteran cornerback agreed to play “for free.”

NFC Notes: Rodgers, Panthers, Elliott, Cards

July 18th, 2017 at 1:07pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Packers have not discussed a contract extension for Aaron Rodgers with his agent, David Dunn, the quarterback told a Milwaukee TV station last week (via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com). Given that Rodgers still has three years left on the deal he signed in 2013, the Packers don’t have to work anything out imminently. However, on the possibility of Rodgers becoming the NFL’s highest-paid player again in the near future, team president Mark Murphy admitted to Demovsky, “You need to plan for it.” Unsurprisingly, Murphy added that the franchise regards re-upping the two-time league MVP as a priority. Rodgers topped all NFLers when he signed his five-year, $110MM deal four years ago, but salaries around him have increased significantly. As a result, the 33-year-old is set to rake in just the sixth-highest amount at his own position this season ($22MM).