One of the best defensive players of his generation announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday morning. Darrelle Revis — who suited up for the New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, and Kansas City Chiefs over the course of his 11-year stint in the league — posted a letter to his Twitter account in which he wrote that his career has come to an end.
In his letter, Revis thanked those in the sport who “made a significant impact in my life” and waxed poetically about what the game of football meant to him. To close, Revis tied everything together by proclaiming “Long live Revis Island.”
— Darrelle Revis (@Revis24) July 18, 2018
Revis was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and a five-time All-Pro during his career. A standout at the University of Pittsburgh, Revis went to the Jets with the 14th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. He soon established himself as one of the league’s premier defensive players, and in his prime, Revis was the kind of cornerback who legitimately cut the field in half and took even the best wide receivers completely out of games.
The Jets traded Revis in 2013 to Tampa Bay, which released him after one season. At that point, he joined New England, won his only Super Bowl, hit free agency, and returned to New York in 2015. The Jets released him after the 2016 campaign, which led to a brief stint with in Kansas City before getting released midway through last season.
It was an unfortunate way for Revis’ career to end, but if there is a silver lining, it’s that football fans won’t remember him for his time as a Chief. Instead, Revis will go down as one of the best cornerbacks to ever play the game, and by retiring, his fans now get to count down the days until he’s eventually enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
