NFL

Holmes stays, but Jets still holding breath

Santonio Holmes

Santonio Holmes (Getty Images)

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Santonio Holmes enjoyed one of the two greatest days of his football life yesterday.

Presumably, his best day was the magical Super Bowl MVP performance in 2009 when he made that acrobatic game-winning touchdown catch to help the Steelers beat the Cardinals. That moment ultimately set the course for what occurred yesterday when Holmes hit the financial jackpot he always has dreamed about.

The Jets aggressively targeted Holmes as their top priority (they really had little choice) and yesterday dropped some $50 million over five years on him with $24 million guaranteed.

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About an hour after Holmes agreed to terms with the Jets, he posted on his Twitter account a photo of himself, wearing little more than a pair of shorts, chugging the last drops of an expensive bottle of champagne.

The tweet message accompanying the photo read: “Just finish a bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal from 2002! Big bro showed loved today.”

If the “Big bro” Holmes referred to in his tweet is Woody Johnson, then he owes the Jets owner at least as good a 2011 and beyond as that pricey 2002 vintage of Cristal he drank.

Holmes is a living, breathing, maddening seductive quandary. He’s an incredibly talented playmaker who’s easily the Jets’ most dangerous offensive threat, but he also is a big-time risk.

This was the Jets dilemma as they plotted their offseason moves.

Having already served a four-game ban to start his career with the Jets last season because of marijuana use, Holmes is one Cheech and Chong moment away from being suspended for an entire year under the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

For the Jets, that’s walking on a tightrope without a safety net below.

Neither the Jets nor Holmes’ agent can comment on this until the deal is officially signed tomorrow, but presumably the Jets protected themselves financially in the contract, writing in a provision that Holmes returns some of that bonus money if he’s ever caught lighting up another joint.

The presumption is that Holmes likely will stay on the straight and narrow, but there’s still something about him that makes you squirm with a little discomfort.

Take that Twitter photo he posted yesterday as at least a small sample of what makes you question Holmes’ judgment.

Sign a rich contract and celebrate your millions with a nice expensive bottle of bubbly and share your excitement with the world. That’s all well and good. But do it with a touch of class and maturity.

Post a photo of yourself toasting a glass of champagne with a friend or loved one, not one of yourself looking like some college student getting hammered at a frat party, guzzling the last drops of the bottle by yourself while wearing a pair of shorts and no shirt.

Given the fact that Holmes is less than a year removed from serving that substance abuse suspension, you would hope he had better judgment than that.

But this is what the Jets bought into. Let’s see how it works out.

Coach Rex Ryan has built a reputation for being able to handle players with a history of straying from the reservation at times, keeping their focus on the team and their eyes on the prize.

Ryan, Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum and ultimately Woody Johnson paid Holmes like the star he believes he is. Now Holmes owes it to the Jets to play like a star on the field and act like one off it as well.

Though some Jets veterans have privately expressed reservations to The Post in recent weeks about the team giving Holmes so much guaranteed money, cornerback Darrelle Revis was fired up to hear the news of Holmes’ re-signing.

“The No. 1 priority when everything started back up was to get Santonio signed,” Revis said. “The guy, to me man, is unbelievable as a receiver in terms of his smartness and his route running and he’s tough. He’s a tough sucker and he’s a leader.

“He said a couple of speeches in our locker room this past year that shows you his passion to play football.”

mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com