CORTLAND — When Jets guard Brandon Moore saw Darrelle Revis arrive at the team’s headquarters yesterday for his physical and conditioning test, Moore couldn’t resist.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” Moore joked, referring to the whispers all spring that Revis might hold out of training camp.
But there was Revis, the team’s top player, and a few hours later he arrived here, where the Jets opened camp, much to the relief of everyone who is associated or roots for the Jets.
Revis admitted he contemplated holding out in hopes of landing a long-term contract, but after many discussions with his agents the cornerback decided it was best for him to report.
“It was close of that happening, for me holding out,” Revis said.
Two years ago, Revis never made it to Cortland. His 36-day holdout that summer resulted in his current four-year, $46 million deal that has two years left. Revis said he was told the contract was a “Band-Aid,” a step toward getting a long-term deal done. He believes Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum told him the contract would be redone after two years. But Tannenbaum has shown no interest in giving Revis a new deal.
If Revis had staged a holdout, three years would have been added to his deal, something he said he and his agents had discussed. If he had held out, he would have lost his $1 million reporting bonus and would have been fined $30,000 a day.
More than the fines and contract issues, though, Revis knew if he held out his reputation would take a hit. If the Jets struggled, he would be the public scapegoat.
Revis, 27, remains hopeful the Jets will sign him to a long-term deal before he becomes a free agent in 2014.
“Something’s gotta happen sooner or later in terms of my future with the team,” he said. “Like I said, I want to be here. I hope Mike and Mr. Woody [Johnson] want me here. Besides that, I’ve just got to play football and keep playing the best that I can.”
Revis said his agents approached Tannenbaum about signing a new deal, but got little response from the team.
“The response was, ‘we’ll deal with it later, we’ll handle it later,’ ’’ Revis said. “I trust Mike and what he’s saying. We’ll see. My situation is a little bit different from others. It has to boil down to something sooner or later, getting a deal done or not.”
The Jets likely will give Revis a new contract before next season, rather than risking him hitting free agency. The team cannot use its franchise tag on him, per a clause in his contract. Revis said he’ll be receptive to a new deal whenever the team wants to talk.
“I want to be a Jet for life, but if management don’t see fit, then I have to move on,” he said.
Coach Rex Ryan all spring had stayed out of discussing Revis’ contract issues and did not say much yesterday about Revis’ presence.
“I mentioned the entire time that I expected Darrelle to be here,” Ryan said. “Obviously it’s great to have him, no question. You guys know how I feel about Darrelle, but I’m here to coach this team and obviously I’m happy he’s here, I’m happy everybody’s here.”
When the Jets take the practice field for the first time this morning, No. 24 will be with the starting defense — something that should make everyone on the Jets smile.
“I never said I was unhappy about my contract,” Revis said. “I know what I signed a couple of years ago. There were talks a couple of years ago about a ‘Band-Aid’ and that was that. Now, we’re here and now we have to move forward with preparing for the season.”
brian.costello@nypost.com