Eagles Claimed Former Jets WR Star Amid Darius Cooper's Severe Shoulder Injury vs. Rams

Philadelphia, Pa. — Sept. 22, 2025.
The Philadelphia Eagles are signing wide receiver and return specialist Xavier Gipson off waivers from the New York Giants, according to a league source with direct knowledge of the agreement. The move has not appeared on the NFL’s daily transaction wire but the Eagles has announced it publicly. 

A 2023 undrafted free agent out of Stephen F. Austin, Gipson spent his first two seasons with the Jets before being waived after Week 1 of the 2025 campaign. He briefly joined the Giants on Sept. 11 but was let go just nine days later without appearing in a game. Now heading to Philadelphia, Gipson steps in amid a crisis in the Eagles' return game and the loss of undrafted rookie Darius Cooper, who suffered a serious shoulder injury in Sunday's 33-26 comeback win over the Los Angeles Rams and is now ruled out for the rest of the season.

"THE INJURY TO DARIUS WAS TOUGH TO WATCH—HE'S A KID WITH SO MUCH HEART AND POTENTIAL—BUT THIS TEAM DOESN'T STOP, AND NEITHER DO I. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO PHILLY, FIX SOME THINGS IN THE RETURN GAME, AND CONTRIBUTE WHEREVER THEY NEED ME—WHETHER IT'S FIELDING KICKS OR MAKING PLAYS DOWNFIELD. LET'S GET THIS RING DEFENSE BACK ON TRACK." Gipson said in a brief statement.

For the Eagles, claiming Gipson addresses two pressing needs: bolstering a special teams unit that struggled mightily against the Rams—where Tank Bigsby mishandled two kick returns and the team couldn't reliably field kicks—and providing depth at receiver after Cooper's devastating injury. In his rookie year with the Jets under quarterback Zach Wilson, Gipson posted 21 catches for 229 yards as a rotational player, though he managed just six receptions for 39 yards last season. As a returner, he's handled 44 kickoffs for a 26.0-yard average and 68 punts for 8.9 yards per return since entering the league, including a game-winning punt-return touchdown in Week 1 of 2023 against the Buffalo Bills. The downside? He's fumbled 10 times in 35 games, with his most recent coming on a fourth-quarter kickoff in the Jets' Week 1 loss to the Steelers this year—a miscue that directly led to his initial release.

To make room on the 53-man roster, the Eagles waived offensive lineman Kenyon Green, a former first-round pick who had been re-added to the practice squad just last week after an initial cut on Sept. 6. Green, who joined Philadelphia via trade from the Houston Texans in the offseason, now faces an uncertain future but could potentially return to the practice squad if he clears waivers.

Gipson is expected to complete his physical and finalize paperwork in the coming days. Any corresponding practice-squad adjustments or elevations will be announced once the transaction is official. With Will Shipley sidelined by an oblique injury and Jahan Dotson handling limited punt returns so far this season, Gipson could see immediate action in Week 4 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, offering the Eagles a scheme fit for special teams coordinator Michael Clay's aggressive return packages.