2012 NFL Offseason: Darrelle Revis Ponders Holdout from Jets

Will he or won't he hold out?  That's the question everyone is wondering (and asking) about as it relates to Jets star defensive back Darrelle Revis.

As it turns out, not even Revis has the answer to that question.

Revis fielded questions on Monday night about the topic, and his response captures the essence of the uncertainty, 

"I just don't know. I'm not saying I am going to hold out. I'm not saying I'm not."

The cornerback isn't a stranger to holdouts, as he missed 35 days of work back in 2010 while unhappy with the deal that he was then playing on. The end result was a new, four-year, $46 million extension (which is scheduled to pay Revis $6 million in 2012), for the All-Pro cornerback that put both himself and the franchise at ease.

Until now.  

The Jets have never made it a mystery how smitten they are with Revis' abilities, and justifiably so. He's the undisputed top cornerback in the NFL and the best defensive player in all of football in my eyes, and a guy who does as much for the Jets defense as any other player on their roster. 

The fact that the Jets have so openly declared how strongly they feel about the contributions of Revis has only increased his already steep leverage. It would appear that Revis knows the team is going to do almost everything to ensure that he is paid handsomely (or, even more handsomely I should say) and make sure that he goes nowhere any time soon.

That may mean paying him even more on his next deal than the team believes is fair value, which is assuredly already a large total in its own right.  

Should he hold out, expect the two sides to get a new deal done and for Revis to become amongst the top paid defensive players in all of football.