Chiefs' Darrelle Revis Not Playing Against Bills, Debut At Jets Next Week

When the Kansas City Chiefs signed cornerback Darrelle Revis last week, there was some speculation about when the former All-Pro would be ready to help the struggling Chiefs secondary. Revis was clearly not his former self last season with the Jets, as he played through a wrist injury and is said to have been out of shape.

Though the Chiefs insist Revis is fully healthy and in playing shape, it sounds like he will rest for another week. ESPN reports Revis will not be active for today’s game against the Buffalo Bills at Arrowhead Stadium. Instead, Revis will debut for his new team as they go on the road to his old stomping grounds in MetLife Stadium, where the Chiefs will face the New York Jets.

When he is ready, Revis is expected to get heavy playing time, if not start, as the cornerback on the opposite side of the field from Chiefs All-Pro Marcus Peters. Though Peters has generally played at a high level this season, Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton uses Peters to lock down one side of the field, rather than having him shadow a particular receiver throughout each game. Thanks in part to the efforts of the Chiefs corners like Terrance Mitchell, Kenneth Acker and Philip Gaines who play the other side of the field, the team is ranked 28th in pass defense right now.

Whether or not Revis can provide a boost to the Chiefs defense will depend on his health and whether or not Father Time has caught up with him. The 32-year-old five-time Pro Bowl cornerback was unceremoniously let go by the Jets in the offseason, following a 2016 season in which Revis was more of a liability than an asset. Whether it was a lack of interest from the other 31 teams or Revis taking a break to get healthy, he was not immediately signed by any team prior to the start of this season.

"The reason for me returning is the fire I have, the fuel I have to continue to play this game at a high level,'' Revis said upon signing with the Chiefs. "My role is to help win. Whatever is best for the team, whether my position is playing a few downs or playing in the slot, wherever Coach wants to play me and feels he can utilize me to help win.''

The Chiefs, who have gone 1-4 since their scorching hot 5-0 start, likely hope Revis’s veteran leadership and skills can help the team outpace the suddenly threatening Los Angeles Chargers to the AFC West title. Kansas City is the only team in the division with a winning record, but they have trended downward recently while the Chargers have blown out the Bills and Cowboys in the past two weeks to reach 4-6. With one of the easiest remaining schedules in the league and the imminent return of solid contributors like Albert Wilson and Dee Ford, the Chiefs are looking to make a run and win the AFC West in consecutive years for the first time in franchise history.