The NFL's top shutdown cornerback will likely be shut down for the season.
Darrelle Revis has a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee that will require surgery, a huge blow for the New York Jets that leaves coach Rex Ryan without his best defensive player.
A sombre Ryan stopped short of ruling Revis out for the season on Monday, saying he just learned of the MRI results. But Revis will have to wait two or three weeks before surgery, Ryan said, and the recovery from an ACL tear is usually six-tonine months. So the chances of Revis returning this season appear extremely slim.
Ryan added that he will speak with Revis before the team decides whether he will be placed on injured reserve, a move that could happen as early as today.
"It's just disappointing," Ryan said. "This guy wants to win. As great a player as he is individually, he's a great teammate and just wants to win. That's why he was so excited about this year."
The 27-year-old Revis was injured in the third quarter of the Jets' 23-20 overtime victory at Miami on Sunday, falling awkwardly and grabbing his knee even before he hit the grass. It was a non-contact injury, and he covered his face with gloved hands in obvious pain. He was able to walk off the field, but was taken into the locker room on a golf cart.
"Thanks for all the support!" Revis wrote on his Twitter page on Monday night. "It's just part of the game, I'm already on my way to recover!"
Ryan suspected the injury was serious when he talked to Revis on the plane ride home. MRI results Monday morning confirmed the team's worst fears.
"It's something we have to overcome. ... We're going to lose that presence. I don't know what else to say about it," Ryan said. "I guess that's the horrible thing that came out of the game."
This was Revis' first game after missing a week with a concussion sustained in the season opener against Buffalo. He had missed only three games before this season, all in 2010.
