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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.

Eagles Chairman Submits 1 Terabyte of Evidence on Series of Referee "Rigging Calls" Leading to Bitter Loss Against Broncos
Philadelphia, October 6, 2025 – In a shocking move that has rocked the American football world, Philadelphia Eagles Chairman and owner Jeffrey Lurie has submitted a massive package of evidence totaling 1 terabyte of data to the National Football League (NFL) office. This evidence focuses on referee decisions alleged to be "rigged" (rigging calls) in the recent game between the Eagles and Denver Broncos, resulting in the Eagles' 24-21 defeat. Lurie argues that these errors not only impacted the game's outcome but are part of a prolonged series of issues that undermine the sport's fairness. The game took place on October 5, 2025, at Lincoln Financial Field, where the Eagles led in the first half but collapsed in the second due to a series of controversial referee calls. Lurie's evidence package includes detailed video analyses, statistical data, and social media posts from fans, proving that the Eagles were systematically disadvantaged. "This isn't the first time," a source close to the team stated. "Chairman Lurie has been collecting data from previous games, but the loss to the Broncos was the final straw." Below is a detailed analysis of the three most controversial referee situations in the game, based on the videos and evidence highlighted by Lurie. These plays have been hotly debated on social media, with thousands of comments from Eagles fans claiming the referees were "biased" toward the Broncos. Situation 1: No Defensive Pass Interference (DPI) Penalty on Dallas Goedert In the final moments of the game, as the Eagles attempted a comeback, quarterback Jalen Hurts threw a deep pass toward tight end Dallas Goedert. The replay video shows Broncos defender (number 22, likely Patrick Surtain II) making early contact with Goedert, pulling his jersey and shoulder down before the ball arrived. Frames from the video clearly display: At seconds 0-2, Goedert is running his route freely; by seconds 3-5, the Broncos defender is hugging tightly and pulling him down; the ball flies over his head at seconds 6-7 with no chance to catch it. This is a classic DPI under NFL rules, which could have given the Eagles a favorable position to score. However, the referees did not throw a flag, resulting in an incomplete pass and the Eagles losing their opportunity. Many experts believe that if penalized, the Eagles could have had a first down in the red zone. Some counterarguments suggest Hurts' pass was underthrown (thrown low), making it hard to catch, but Lurie argues the early contact was a clear violation. This situation has enraged Eagles fans, with comments like "Refs are blind" spreading widely. View video and discussion here Situation 2: Ruling Incomplete Pass Instead of Fumble by Bo Nix In the second half, Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (number 10) was heavily pursued by Eagles defender (number 90, Jordan Davis) while attempting to pass the ball. The video shows Nix losing control of the ball before his arm fully moved forward: At seconds 0-5, Nix is holding the ball and gets hit; seconds 6-10, the ball flies out and travels about 5 yards forward; seconds 11-15, players scramble for it. Subtitles from the broadcast replay emphasize: "He's gonna be really close watch this" and "Of course all turnovers are reviewed," indicating this was a play needing close scrutiny. The referees initially ruled it an incomplete pass, and after an automatic review, upheld the decision, not considering it a fumble. The Eagles could have recovered the ball in a good position if it were a fumble, altering the game's momentum. Lurie points out that under the "tuck rule" (the arm must fully move forward), this was clearly a loss of possession. Many Broncos fans defend that Nix's arm was in forward progress, but video evidence shows the ball left his hand earlier. This situation is seen as "robbing" the Eagles of a potential turnover. View video and discussion here Situation 3: Unnecessary Roughness Penalty on Zack Baun In a key running play by the Broncos, running back (number 33, Javonte Williams) was extending his arm to reach first down on fourth-and-one. Eagles linebacker Zack Baun (number 53) dove in for a hard hit, with helmet-to-helmet contact as the runner was nearly down. Video frames illustrate: Seconds 0-4, Williams runs and extends his arm; seconds 5-8, Baun executes a dive tackle with head contact; seconds 9-11, Williams falls and the referee throws the flag. Broadcast subtitles: "Terrible error right here with a brought up 4th and one" and "Oh no, you cannot do that," reflecting the commentators' surprise. The referees penalized unnecessary roughness (unnecessary roughness), giving the Broncos an additional 15 yards and an automatic first down, allowing them to sustain the drive and score later. Lurie argues the play was reasonable since the runner was still advancing, not a late hit, and Baun was just trying to prevent the first down. However, some view it as a violation of player safety rules, especially with head contact. This situation "gifted" the Broncos offensive momentum, contributing to their victory. View video and discussion here In the statement accompanying the evidence, Chairman Jeffrey Lurie emphasized: "The Broncos won, and that can't be changed, but I can't accept the Eagles being screwed game after game. If you search for Referee on social media, we're definitely the hottest topic. I'm sending this evidence in hopes the NFL won't let it continue, so football can be as fair as possible." The NFL has not yet issued an official response, but sources indicate the referee committee will review the data package. Eagles fans are calling for an independent investigation, while the Broncos dismiss the allegations, calling them "excuses for the loss." This incident could lead to rule changes or referee penalties, heating up the debate on transparency in the NFL.