Xavier Gipson’s arrival was also a heartwarming story.
He was an undrafted wide receiver who “Hard Knocks” tracked throughout training camp last year as a small but speedy 5-foot-9 rookie trying to crack the Jets’ 53-man roster.
That opportunity came true when general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh called Gipson into their office and, while the tone of the conversation suggested Gipson had been fired, they actually made it clear that there was a spot for Gipson.
This year is different.
Gipson is almost certain to play in Week 1 despite having his training camp interrupted by a foot injury.
With Randall Cobb gone, he is listed as the Jets’ starting slot receiver on the unofficial depth chart, but rookie Malachi Corey could be in line for a spot.
Saleh and the Jets have told players to “let guys know what your fastball is like” when watching tape, and with Gipson’s role expanding late last year – with 14 of his 21 catches and 147 of his 229 yards coming after the calendar flipped to December – Saleh wants to ensure Gipson is “maxing out his speed and playing in and out” in 2024.
“I don’t know if we were able to get that much speed out of him a year ago,” Saleh said Wednesday. “As a young rookie, he’s kind of swimming. He’s not showing all his athleticism. This year, it’s a challenge for him to throw that fastball every play.”
There were some moments in 2023 when their strength shone through.
Gipson scored on an end-around against the Texans in December.
Earlier that month, he caught a flea flicker for a 36-yard gain.
And in Week 1, the same night Rodgers played a four-snap cameo before rupturing his Achilles, Gipson scored a game-winning touchdown on a 65-yard punt return in overtime.
“When you get a walk-off win as an undrafted rookie free agent, you’re really like, ‘Wow, this is something a movie could be made of,'” Colby Kartell, who coached Gipson at Stephen F. Austin, told The Post.
As the Jets’ season slowly unraveled and obvious concerns about the present gave way to questions about the future, Gipson became much more than a punt returner and a “Hard Knocks” character.
Cobb was absent from the roster and at times withdrew from the competition for health reasons.
Gipson was always known for his speed, even as a “phenomenal” recruit out of Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, and Kartel transferred Gipson, who had originally committed to SMU as a defensive back, to his own program, where head coach Stephen F. Austin built his offense around him.
He primarily plays from the slot and surpassed 200 yards three times in 2021, including 158 yards against Texas Tech, and has amassed 4,305 yards in four seasons.
“I felt like he could have been an All-American cornerback for us, and I think that helped him and his game,” Cartel said. “… He’s not just a guy that runs fast and catches the ball. He’s a complete football player, and I think that gives him an advantage at his position, maybe over guys that are just more of a receiving type of guy.”
Gipson won’t be the focal point of an offensive line that includes Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, Mike Williams and Allen Lazard.
But Kartel said this will create some one-on-one opportunities for Gipson in the slot and could lead to a “breakout season” thanks to the talent surrounding him.
Coach Rodgers also made the most of routes from players like Jordy Nelson and Cobb in the slot with the Packers.
So Saturday’s preseason opener will be our first glimpse of Gipson in his second year.
The Jets will also get a chance to watch Coley play and see if he can bring the physical skills and what Saleh called “violence on the run” that led to him being a third-round draft pick in April to the game.
It took Gipson a while to prove he was more than a punt returner, and it took him a while to prove he should be a wide receiver in college.
And now, with the opportunity and threat looming to prove he’s more than just a Jets reserve, Gipson’s speed remains at the center of it all.
“He still makes guys look slow,” Kartel said, “and makes guys look silly. … He makes it look so easy. And when he’s playing for our team, he’s a pro playing FCS football. He’s got NFL talent playing FCS football. That’s to be expected.”
“But when you see it against a professional player, you think, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s special.'”
