Xavier Gipson makes roster after Jets 'tricked' him into thinking he didn't

3-3 minutes 8/30/2023
Heartbreak became elation in a matter of moments.
Xavier Gipson, an undrafted free-agent receiver and kick returner, was duped by Jets higher-ups.
They thanked him for his contributions and made it seem like he wasn’t sticking around by starting the next sentence by saying “sorry,” before breaking the good news.
“They kind of tricked me into thinking I was going to be released,” Gipson, the two-time WAC Offensive Player of the Year at Stephen F. Austin, said with a smile. “Then, [coach Robert Saleh] finally said, ‘Man, you made the team.’ It took a moment for me to take it all in.”
“It means everything. This is all I ever wanted when I was a kid growing up. I’ve been working hard my whole life to get to this moment.”
The 5-foot-9 Gipson enjoyed a strong preseason, catching seven passes for 79 yards in the finale against the Giants and flashing as a playmaker in the return game.
He was joined on the initial 53-man roster by fellow undrafted free-agent wideout Jason Brownlee and second-year undrafted receiver Irvin Charles.
The recent retirement of veteran Corey Davis created an extra spot at receiver.
They were three of the happier Jets on Tuesday, but there were a number of disappointed players as well as the team made a significant amount of moves by the 4 p.m. deadline.
Among the notable cuts were quarterback Tim Boyle, fullback Nick Bawden, who was at practice Tuesday, “Hard Knocks” star receiver Jerome Kapp, tight end Zack Kuntz and punter Thomas Morstead.
Morstead, however, is expected to be brought back Wednesday as part of further roster shuffling.
The Jets’ initial 53-main roster didn’t have a punter.
Several notable players practiced Tuesday, including RBs Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook, WR Allen Lazard, DE Carl Lawson and LT Duane Brown.
Lawson was out multiple weeks with a back issue.
Cook underwent offseason shoulder surgery and practiced fully for the first time this summer.
“It was surreal. I was in the huddle and I was like, ‘All right, I’m back in the huddle, just embrace the moment,’ and it was time to go work,” Cook said. “I was itching to get back on the field. So just get that out of the way, and get back on the green grass with the fellas, it was good for me.”
OL Wes Schweitzer and TE Kenny Yeboah didn’t practice.