Chiefs hope Revis can be close to former self

KANSAS CITY, MO. » Darrelle Revis doesn’t know what to expect when the Chiefs visit the Jets on Sunday.

Not how the fans that cheered him for eight seasons will respond.

Not how he will fit into a team that signed him only a week ago.

Not even how his skills, which at one point made him one of the best cornerbacks in football, will show up as he plays for the first time this season.

“You know what? I really have no idea what to expect,” Revis said after a morning walk-through in the Kansas City practice facility Thursday. “I haven’t played the majority of this football season.” Any of it, really. The 32-year-old Revis was released in March two years after the Jets signed him to the richest contract in franchise history.

Part of it had to do with what they viewed as a decline in his skill, and part of it had to do with injuries that may or may not have contributed to it.

Regardless, he kept working out through the summer and while every other team reported to training camp, envisioning a time when he felt as if he’d be ready to contribute to a contender.

That point came last week, when he signed a unique contract with the Chiefs.

Revis will only earn $352,941 for the remainder of this season as part of the two-year deal, and he has a $1.015 million base salary next season.

But numerous bonuses tied to remaining on the 53-man roster could add $8.8 million to the bill next year, and Revis could earn an additional $3.5 million this season if he helps the Chiefs achieve certain playoff benchmarks.

In other words, the complex structure gave cashstrapped Kansas City a relatively low-risk upgrade at a position of need, and gave Revis a chance to prove that he’s still worth big money.