The Eagles are giving Xavier Gipson another shot.
Philadelphia signed the receiver and special teams returner to its practice squad on Friday, bringing back the 25-year-old after his most recent stop with the New York Giants. Gipson was on the practice field at the Jefferson Health Training Complex the same day the move was announced.
To make room, the Eagles placed wide receiver Danny Gray on injured reserve.
Gipson’s return adds a familiar name to a return game that already has a few moving parts. Backup running backs Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley are listed as the Eagles’ starting kick returners, while rookie receiver Makai Lemon might handle punts in Week 1.
This is Gipson’s second stint in Philadelphia. He spent most of last season with the Eagles after earlier stops with the Jets and Giants, and Howie Roseman signed the 5-foot-9 speedster in September 2025 to help in the return game.
The upside was obvious when Gipson first broke into the league. As a rookie with the Jets in 2023, he opened with a game-winning, 65-yard touchdown return in his debut.
But the Eagles never got that same kind of jolt. In five games with Philadelphia, Gipson brought back seven kickoffs for 177 yards, including a long of 37 yards.
He also had a costly miscue in the Week 12 collapse against Dallas, when he decided to field a punt from the Eagles’ own 2-yard line and then fumbled it to the Cowboys. Dallas scored the game-tying touchdown shortly after.
A few weeks later, Gipson was released, landed with the Giants, spent the summer with Philadelphia’s NFC East rival and then was waived by New York on roster cutdown day.
Now he’s back in Philadelphia as practice squad depth, ready if the Eagles need another option in the return game.
The Eagles open the 2026 season against the Commanders on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
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