When Xavier Gipson landed with the Giants, it felt like the perfect reset button — a chance for a talented receiver who just hadn’t quite pieced it together yet. But Daboll’s not exactly the “let’s wait and see” type.

Yes, Xavier Gipson is back on the open market—again. 10 days after the Giants claimed him off waivers, they’re cutting him loose, just one day before their Week 3 showdown with the Chiefs. Yes, the Giants scooped up Gipson off waivers before Week 2, but he never even got on the field. By Saturday, they decided they’d seen enough and sent him right back to waivers.

The Giants brought in Gipson while Gunner Olszewski was banged up, but it didn’t matter much — Olszewski still suited up and handled returns, teaming with rookie RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. on kickoffs instead of giving Gipson a shot. That’s probably why he’s headed back to the waivers. Not because he had a shocker in the training or anything like that.

And taking the timing into account, this is a rather interesting decision. With Olszewski still hovering as questionable for Week 3, this move feels like a hint: Brian Daboll might be ready to roll with Tracy as the team’s primary kick returner. And it’s not surprising why.

So far in 2025, Tyrone Tracy has taken five kickoffs back for 132 yards—an impressive 26.4-yard average per return, with a long of 30 yards. So no, Gipson wasn’t a need. And for Daboll, apparently, not even a depth-piece.

Gipson came into the league as an undrafted free agent with the Jets, where his receiver reps never really clicked, and he recorded just three TDs. But he did carve out a lane as a returner — and he’ll always have that highlight-reel moment from his debut, taking a punt 65 yards to the house in overtime to stun the Bills. You could argue that’s how he managed to stay for two years at the Jets.

Gipson might still land on the Giants’ practice squad, but so far, there’s been no word on whether that’s actually in the works. It’s looking unlikely so far.

And this wasn’t the only roster move the Giants made. The Giants shuffled their roster, promoting DT Elijah Garcia and LB Neville Hewitt from the practice squad. And LB Tomon Fox made the jump to the active roster.

Waiving Xavier Gipson feels less like drama and more like roster math. Either way, that’s two head coaches who have already thrown in the towel on him.

Brian Daboll’s decision doubles down on Aaron Glenn’s message

Getting cut by two coaches in such a short span of time has got to sting. Jets coach Aaron Glenn insisted it wasn’t a message, but releasing Xavier Gipson after that costly Week 1 fumble sure looked like one. Early in the fourth, Gipson coughed up the ball at the Jets’ 22-yard line. And the Steelers didn’t waste a second. They turned the turnover into a touchdown, snatching a 31-26 lead.

“I want it to be known that the decisions that are made are not rash decisions and never based off one incident, and I’ll keep it at that,” Aaron Glenn said. “Xavier’s a really good player, he’s going to play in this league, but I thought it was time for us to move on in another direction,” he added.

After making the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2023, Gipson settled in as the team’s primary punt returner. But this summer, he had to fight for his spot. He ended up narrowly beating rookie Jamaal Pritchett, while Nwangwu grabbed the kickoff return duties in the preseason.

Aaron Glenn also said that “there’s accountability in everything we do,” and that a “number of things” led to that decision. And he meant it. Over a little more than two seasons, Gipson coughed up the ball 10 times across different roles. On the receiving side, he finished with 27 catches for 268 yards and a single touchdown.

The Jets brought in WR/returner Isaiah Williams from the Bengals’ practice squad as part of the roster shuffle. With 11 career punt returns under his belt, he definitely looks like an upgrade. As for Gipson, it is to be seen whether he lands on the Giants’ practice squad or not. And if he doesn’t, that’s bad news for his NFL career.