Darrelle Revis excited to be inducted into Jets' Ring of Honor

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The question left Darrelle Revis speechless.

He had been asked about his emotions regarding his upcoming induction into the Jets’ Ring of Honor, and he needed a moment to collect himself.

One second became five. Five became 10. Finally, he began to speak.

“It’s very surreal,” Revis said during his availability at the Jets’ practice session late Friday morning. “I’m overwhelmed. I’m excited.”

With good reason.

Revis will be inducted into the Ring of Honor at halftime of the Jets’ home game against the Bears on Nov. 27, joining Nick Mangold (Sept. 25) and D’Brickashaw Ferguson (Oct. 30) in one of the most impressive classes in franchise history.

Mangold, a center, and Ferguson, a left tackle, anchored the offensive line. Revis, who played eight of his 11 seasons with the Jets after they moved up 11 slots in the 2007 draft (from 25 to 14) to select him, was a seven-time Pro Bowler and was named All-Pro four times.

In 145 games, he recorded 139 passes defensed, 29 interceptions, four forced fumbles, two sacks and 496 tackles (411 solo and 85 assisted). He earned the nickname “Revis Island” for his ability to render wide receivers whom he defended virtually irrelevant.

“I’ve had to cover some of the greatest, Hall of Fame receivers,” Revis said. “I just made sure I wasn’t letting my team down.”

Rarely did that happen, and as a result, Revis was named a first-year nominee for the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class on Sept. 21. It is a near-certainty that he will be enshrined in Canton someday.

But that is in the future. In the present, Revis keeps tabs on the Jets and likes what he sees, especially from Sauce Gardner, whom Revis believes is having a sensational rookie season. Entering Sunday’s game in New England, Gardner has two interceptions, 13 passes defensed, one quarterback hit and 44 total tackles (30 solo, 14 for loss).

“The sky’s the limit for him,” said Revis, who stressed he hasn’t spoken much to Gardner because he does not want to add to the pressure the fourth overall pick from Cincinnati may be feeling. “He’s effective at what he can do . . . In this league, you actually need great cover corners. I think he can take on that legacy as being a New York Jet great.”

Notes & quotes: Robert Saleh did not ascribe any additional significance to Sunday’s game, even though the Jets can take over first place in the AFC East with a win. A victory would be the Jets’ first in Foxborough since Jan. 16, 2011, and their first regular-season triumph there since Sept. 19, 2010. “There’s still seven games left,” Saleh said. “This is a championship week, and it’s a championship week not because it’s New England. It’s a championship week because it’s the next one [on the schedule].” . . . Saleh said Corey Davis (sprained knee) will not play Sunday . . . The Jets officially announced the signing of Laurent Duvernay-Tardif to the practice squad. The guard had been doing a medical residency in Canada and had not played this season.