1721

Jets chairman and CEO Woody Johnson told @JeremySchaap that his gut feeling is CB Darrelle Revis will not play this season.

whoa…

I know Revis wants paid more, but dude… you still have 3 years on your contract!

1722

Starting to look like Sam The Ram could be starting by week one.

Honest question, one I don’t know the answer to and am curious about: in the past few years it seems as if a number of rookie qb’s have stepped in almost right away and been effective. So tell me when the following guys won the starting job:

  1. Matt Ryan
  2. Joe Flacco
  3. Matthew Stafford
  4. Mark Sanchez

Thanks, I’ll hang up and listen.

1723

Ryan, Stafford, and Sanchez were all named as starter late in preseason their rookie years. Flacco also started game one as a rookie, though that was after Kyle Boller suffered a season ending injury in preseason and Troy Smith got sick, so not really per anyone’s plan.

It’s a pretty interesting change in recent years. Prior to Rothelisberger, only Marino had lead a team to success as a rookie starter. Now it seems much more likely to work, what with the team success under Flacco, Ryan, and Sanchez as rookies. On the other hand, there have been QBs who started as rookies on bad teams who looked decent enough early on but never really panned out.

1724

Without knowing the details of what the Jets have offered, its hard to say who is in the wrong here. On the one hand I agree with the idea that players keep wanting to have it both ways - they want guarantees that protect them financially even if they suck but they also want to throw that contract away if they perceive that their value is higher. On the other hand, the Jets can’t talk about Revis being the best corner in the league and only pay him 1/15 of what the highest paid guy is getting.

So if the Jets are offering to pay him something in between for the next few years then I like their position a lot better then if they are backloading something that doesn’t really cost them anything more in the short term. Telling Revis he’ll get big dollars later in a contract that isn’t guaranteed is just talk.

1725

I really don’t see what the contract situation has to do with it. Contracts in the NFL are not ironclad guarantees of payment over time, they are just there to prevent players from hopping from team to team.

Given that the team can fire players at will, even ones that have “contracts” locking them in, I have no problem with players who are clearly due for a raise holding out for one.

1726

Here is the issue:

Revis is seeking to become the highest-paid cornerback in the league, surpassing the Oakland Raiders’ Nnamdi Asomugha ($15.1 million average per year).

The problem – in addition to tricky limitations in an uncapped year and all the labor uncertainty – is the Oakland Raiders gave cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha an outlandish deal that shattered the standard. The Jets are averse to accepting it as a starting point with Revis, who is using that contract as his measuring stick. Asomugha’s deal averages $15.1 million a year.

As usual, the Raiders gave crazy money to one of their players. Revis wants the Jets to top even this number and make him the highest paid corner in the league. The Jets can’t afford to do that, and Revis is unwilling to budge. The two sides have been at this since January. I’m one to usually side with players because they have less leverage, but I really think Revis has to give a little here.

1727

Both of the Mannings said getting to play in their rookie years was more valuable than sitting. Eli did sit for the first 6-8 games and then took over for Warner. Peyton started in game one and hasn’t not started since I believe.

I think the Rams will start Bradford when they feel he’s the best QB on the roster, and that might very well be game one. He’s clearly the best passer already. He just has to feel comfortable with the offense and at least be somewhat along in making reads of the defense.

1728

I don’t think either side is in the wrong. It’s a business decision. Football’s a bit odd, too, in that players don’t usually get old as much as they get beat up and see their careers end. I don’t think sitting out a year hurts Revis. It probably adds a year to his career.

Revis is the top CB in the NFL, but he’s also under contract. Both sides have a defensible position.

1729

Here’s real problem. If Revis doesn’t push for a new contract now, he may never get a real pay day. He could get hurt, he could just slow down, etc. It’s now or never in the land of the NFL. It isn’t like the MLB where you come with a long contract, then if you’re good, you get another, all guaranteed money.

The sad truth is that contracts are only as good as the owners want them to be. And if players don’t pull bullshit like this, then they will continue to not get paid. It’s why so many contracts have guaranteed money up front.

Now if Revis is holding out for top of the top money, just because of what some guy on the Raiders got paid, that’s probably not his best move either. Still, if I were him, I wouldn’t play another day in the NFL for 1/mil a year when I’m dominating my position.

1730

The Jets offered him a bigger contract, something like $100M over X number of years, but only $5M was guaranteed. Given the nature of the NFL and career-ending injuries, I can understand Revis not being happy with that.

1731

As a Chargers fan with a long time loathing of the Raiders and a new found loathing of the Jets I can’t help but chuckle that it appears crazy old man Davis may have unwittingly and single handedly sabotaged the Jets season. Should be fun watching receivers having career days on “Cromartie Island”.

1732

Us up here in NE are really upset by this.
I have no sympathy for any player turning down good money. That included Logan Mankins refusing a 40 million contract. Revis, has a contract. He should play it out. 3 years left? If I was the owner, I wouldn’t even negotiate with him. Shut up, strap on your helmet and get on the field.

1733

Yeah, these players really aren’t making much at…

wait…

1734

When the owner of the Titans can be fined $200,00 and not even complain, you know who’s making the money in this league and it ain’t the players. Remember that the players in total get 60%, and the 29 owners share the rest. Who do you think is richer on a person by person basis?

I agree with Kraaze, the players get shafted in these contracts that do little for them and a lot for the owners. Again, look to the NBA where players don’t hold out because they get the money they agreed to get. Their contracts are nearly always guaranteed and that makes all the difference.

1735

Subtract out agents fees and taxes, look at the length of the careers, look at the very real risk of permanent crippling injuries, look at how hard these players have to train all year around, etc. Most of these guys really aren’t making a ton of money for all that.

Now if you want to talk about baseball players I’ll back you up, but I don’t think any outrage of over pampered overpaid football players really applies.

1736

Football players make good money, and the stars make a lot. But there are many of them who leave the game with permanent injuries and they have a dramatically shortened life expectancy.

And as others have said, management can terminate a player at any time and isn’t on the hook for the remaining years in the contract. I can understand how a star player being asked to play for $1M feels he is worth more.

1737

Like I said, I’m usually a player advocate first, but right now I’m a sad Jets fan who wishes the star CB would take a little less money to play with the team. Does Revis think that others on the team dont want more money too? They all do.

1738

Poor Percy Harvin. Migraines still bothering him. End this war on drugs and let the man smoke it away!

1739

Lol. JETS = Just End The Season.

1740

They do, and the Jets have had a history of players saying management promised them something and then backed off on it later on. Laveranues Coles, Chris Baker, Pete Kendall, Leon Washington, and Brandon Moore have all complained about this, and in every case the team just shuttled them off instead – Leon Washington, notably, after he had a serious injury that dramatically lowers his earning value down the road.

The Leon Washington incident has to be a major factor for Revis. If he gets hurt this year after being the best corner in the league, he’ll never get paid like the best corner in the league. I’m behind him on this – get paid while you can, since tomorrow it could all go away with a bad cut on a wet field.