Over the past few weeks, there have been mixed reports about Darrelle Revis’ desire to continue playing football. Revis is in his 30’s now and has been battling one of the worst seasons of his career since being drafted by the New York Jets in 2007. The Jets traded up to 14th to select Revis and he’s been one of the best cornerbacks ever since.
Now, with rumors of his passion for the NFL fading, Revis himself has claimed he has plenty of football left. Stories of his tanking might be grossly over exaggerated. The Jets are 3-8 and fading fast. Frustration quickly settles in when you realize the best your team is going to do this year is get back to .500, and they’d need a miracle for that.
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With his current team in desperate need of a rebuild, maybe it’s time for Revis to part company. If he does in fact still have plenty of football in him then there are teams that could come calling. 11 teams are allowing an average of 275 yards per game through the air and could use a veteran to help groom their young talent. Even if he’s lost a step there’s no doubt he could be an asset in the secondary.
The perfect fit to further his career could be 630 miles south of MetLife stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Carolina Panthers are struggling in the passing game and would most likely welcome an aging superstar. At the bottom of their division at 4-7, the team looks like a shell of its former self, looking more like the team that limped into the playoffs than last year’s Super Bowl runner-up. After their 35-32 loss in week 12, only 7 teams have a worse record than the Carolina. If the season ended today they’d have a top 10 pick in the first round and will more than likely use it on defensive backs.
After failing to resign Josh Norman and instantly regretting it, the Panthers could use a veteran corner to coach up their younger stars. With his relationship strained with the Jets and a down season, Carolina might be able to acquire Revis at a discounted rate. By week 1 of next season, he’ll have turned 32 years old and could be in the twilight of his career. Carolina should be able to open up their checkbook’s and still get him at a low-risk/high reward price.
Maybe not in an every-down role, but Revis can still be effective. Plenty of players has rebounded after an abysmal season just by a change of scenery. In the NFL a player’s success can be greatly influenced by the system they’re playing in. Peyton Manning flourished in Indianapolis but had one of his best seasons as a Bronco. Both Byron Maxwell and Kiko Alonso struggled in Philadelphia and are having rebound years in Miami. Maybe NY is just a bad fit for where he’s at in his career. Can he be revived in Carolina?