Revis shares great Belichick story from Pats contract talks

Share

The New England Patriots made a rare exception to open their pocketbooks and sign high-priced cornerback Darrelle Revis in 2014 free agency.

But they didn't exactly write Revis a blank check.

Joining Bleacher Report's Master Tesfatsion on "Untold Stories," Revis shed light on how negotiations went between his camp and Bill Belichick, the Patriots' de facto general manager.

Bean: Ranking all 32 NFL starting QBs after Week 1

"When it came to negotiation time, Bill was real stern about a number," Revis said. "My side, we were stuck at ($)16 (million for a one-year deal). And his whole deal was, 'Tom makes 14.' And that was really it."

Belichick's blunt message to Revis: If you come here, you're not making more than franchise quarterback Tom Brady, who actually carried a $14.8 million cap hit in 2014.

The message apparently stuck with Revis, who took a $4 million pay cut from his 2013 salary with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to earn $12 million during his lone season in New England.

The All-Pro cornerback helped the Patriots win a Super Bowl that season, so he'll tell you it was worth it -- even if playing under Belichick was a unique experience for Revis after years under Rex Ryan on the New York Jets.

"It's eggshells. You're walking on eggshells when you come here," Revis told Tesfatsion about playing in New England. "Bill might come out of the blue and ask you some question. ... They just want you to know everything about the preparation or the game day."

Revis headed back to the Jets in 2015, so the Patriots experience clearly wasn't for him. During that 2014 campaign, though, both sides got what they wanted.

Contact Us