NY Giants Add Reinforcement on Kickoff Return Team with Former Jets Player

The Giants were awarded Xavier Gipson's contract off waivers on Thursday.

Former New York Jets wide receiver Xavier Gipson is joining the Giants. | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

The New York Giants have been awarded the contract of receiver/return specialist Xavier Gipson off waivers.

This is convenient: The #Giants have claimed former #Jets WR and returner Xavier Gipson, source said.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 11, 2025

Gipson was waived by the Jets on Wednesday, three days after he delivered a costly fumble in Gang Green’s 34-32 Week 1 loss to the Steelers.

Gipson had stepped in for Jets kickoff returner Kene Nwangwu after he injured his hamstring, but fumbled the ball on his 22-yard line early in the fourth quarter, a play that set up the Steelers’ go-ahead score to make it 31-26 at the time. 

The addition of Gipson, who is expected to fill the roster spot that will open once the Giants place inside linebacker Micah McFadden on injured reserve with a foot injury, alleviates the kickoff return duties that receiver Wan’Dale Robinson held in the first game. 

Robinson, who is on this week’s injury report with an ankle ailment, returned two kickoffs last week for just 20.5 yards per return and a long of 21 yards.

Gipson, 5-9 and 189 pounds, initially joined the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2023 out of Stephen F. Austin University, where he was a two-time Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Offensive Player of the Year (2021 and 2022), and a two-time First-team All-WAC honoree in those same seasons.

As a receiver, he appeared in 35 games with three starts for the Jets since 2023, catching 27 of 48 pass targets for 268 yards and one touchdown. He also had nine rushing attempts for 73 yards. 

He made his living, though, as a return specialist, posting 68 punt returns for 607 yards and one touchdown, and 44 kickoff returns for 1,142 yards.

The addition of Gipson is not believed to put current punt returner Gunner Olszewski’s job in jeopardy, as, again, the team clearly is in need of a better option at kickoff returner. Olszewski, as the Giants punt returner last week, averaged 8.0 yards per return on three returns, and did not call for a fair catch.

Olszewski, who missed last season with a groin injury that landed him on IR, has returned 26 punts for 297 yards and a touchdown in two seasons with the Giants.

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