Aaron Glenn Had Blunt Explanation for Cutting Jets Player After One Game

The team released wide receiver/kick returner Xavier Gipson on Wednesday morning.

Glenn is at the start of his first year as the head coach of the Jets. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

After the Jets cut wide receiver Xavier Gipson on Wednesday morning, head coach Aaron Glenn insisted the decision wasn't based solely on Gipson's Week 1 performance, during which the wideout recorded a costly fumble in a narrow loss vs. the Steelers.

"I want it to be known that decisions that's made are not rash decisions and never based off of one incident, and I will keep it at that," Glenn said, bluntly addressing the move. "Xavier's a really good player—and he's going to play in this league—but I felt it was time for us to move on in another direction. So I'll leave it at that."

"Decisions that are made are not rash decisions. They're never based off of one incident. I will keep it at that."

Aaron Glenn explains the Jets' release of Xavier Gipson: pic.twitter.com/8Kn8RsIvpV

— Jets Videos (@snyjets) September 10, 2025

Considering the timing of the decision, some onlookers believed Glenn, a first-year head coach, was making a statement—this team will not tolerate mistakes like the one Gipson made.

But on Wednesday, the coach stressed that "a number of things" factored into the decision, not just this error (though he did note that there is "accountability in everything that we do," echoing comments he made after the game itself).

The fumble in question happened at the Jets' 22-yard line early in the fourth quarter on Sunday. Gipson dropped the ball, and the Steelers were able to convert that for a touchdown for a 31-26 lead.

After the fact, Gipson acknowledged the gravity of the mistake and how it impacted his team.

"[My teammates] know what I can do. They believe in me; the coaches believe in me," he explained. "That being said, that's the worst situation I could put my team in."

On Wednesday, he shared a message to Jets fans on Instagram: "Thank you New York," he wrote, alongside the "prayer hands" emoji.

---

More NFL on Sports Illustrated

feed