Getty New York Jets wide receiver Xavier Gipson reacting after a huge play during an NFL game.
Xavier Gipson turned down “significantly more guaranteed money” from another NFL team to sign with the New York Jets after going undrafted in April.
That factoid was according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic who shared that in a column he posted on Saturday September 16.
Stephen F. Austin head coach Colby Carthel told Rosenblatt that Gipson received offers from “28” NFL teams after not hearing his named called during the 2023 NFL draft, but “he wanted to play for the Jets.”
Not the First Time Gipson Has Turned Down Money
Gipson was originally scheduled to go to SMU for college football but “but academic issues and a late push from SFA flipped him to the FCS program in 2019,” per Rosenblatt.
In his first two seasons at SFA, Gipson caught 104 receptions for 1,775 receiving yards, and scored 16 receiving touchdowns.
That kind of production drew the attention of other big-time colleges with deep pockets.
Heading into his third season “FBS teams came calling, offering him ‘six figures worth of money’ in NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals to leave SFA” Rosenblatt learned in a conversation with coach Carthel.
Gipson didn’t want to leave, according to coach Carthel, but that would’ve been a lot of money for his family. The coaching staff was able to rally and come up with some NIL money there locally and ultimately Gipson agreed to stay at SFA for a “tenth of what he could’ve made, per Rosenblatt via Carthel.
That’s just one example that Gipson isn’t driven by the things people are normally driven by. He is a special indvidual and one the Jets deem themselves fortunate to have landed.
Gipson Has a Chance to Be More Than Just a Return Specialist for Jets
Gipson made the Jets’ roster as an undrafted free agent wide receiver this offseason and he paid immediate dividends.
The best part of #HardKnocks? Seeing guys like @nyjets rookie WR Xavier Gipson find out they made the team. 🥹 @Gipson22X
New #HardKnocks tonight at 10pm ET on @StreamOnMax
In his first game as a professional, Gipson delivered a walk-off punt return touchdown in overtime to deliver his Jets the Week 1 22-16 win over their bitter rivals the Buffalo Bills.
That performance earned him both the AFC’s Special Teams Player of the Week award and the Rookie of the Week honors.
A big reason why he is even on the team is his prowess in the return game and that’ll continue to be the case throughout the 2023 season. However, there is a chance he can expand his role on the team.
Rosenblatt in his piece said that Gipson will have an opportunity for an “even bigger role at wide receiver” throughout the season.
Right now, the Jets have some interesting options available at the slot position. They have veteran Randall Cobb and speedster Mecole Hardman. In the season opening win versus the Bills, Hardman didn’t play an offensive snap.
Head coach Robert Saleh blamed the injury at quarterback and said the coaching staff had to call an audible and change the gameplan when Zach Wilson replaced Aaron Rodgers in the starting lineup.
Hardman is on a one-year deal and Cobb is much closer to retirement than the beginning of his career. Gipson wasn’t expected to make the team and overcame the odds. There doesn’t appear to be a clear path to the starting gig, but his elite ability in the return game will provide him doses on the offensive side of the ball.
The Jets could use him in a rotation and give him spurts of action through the screen game and some jet sweeps. One big play on offense could change the Jets’ initial plans for him and that could get him on the field a lot more often throughout the rest of the season.