The New York Giants currently find themselves in a bit of a tailspin at receiver given the injury situation that ran through the position over the spring.As is widely known, Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton both missed the spring program while recovering from their respective injuries: Nabers from an ACL injury and Slayton from a sports hernia.Then it was Gunner Olszewski, the team’s return specialist, going down with a season-ending Achilles tear. While Olszewski was heavily favored to reprise his role under John Harbaugh, among his competition for the returner job was Xavier Gipson.Gipson, who is also a slot receiver by trade, has everything a team could want in a return specialist: elite vision, a quick first step, and a top-notch ability to set up his blockers. He's also elusive in space and, as a former track runner, he has breakaway speed to the point where if he gets some daylight, he’s off to the races.However, he’s also had ball security issues. In three seasons, he has had six muffed punts, a statistic that undoubtedly makes head coaches and special teams coordinators reluctant to put their full trust in him.Fortunately for Gipson, new Giants head coach John Harbaugh has been all about handing out clean slates to everyone on the roster, and Gipson, albeit a long shot to stick on the 53-man roster at this juncture, hopes to benefit from that. XAVIER GIPSON, WRHeight: 5-foot-9Weight: 189 lbs.Exp.: 4 YearsSchool: Stephen F. AustinHow Acquired: FA-'252025 in ReviewNew York Jets wide receiver Xavier Gipson (3) runs after catching the punt, Sunday, September 7, 2025, in East Rutherford. | Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesGipson started the 2025 season with the Jets, but after he committed an extremely costly fumble on a kick return during the fourth quarter of a Week 1 showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers in a game the Jets lost, he was sent packing the day after.The Giants were awarded Gupson’s contract off waivers on September 11, but his initial stay with Big Blue was short-lived, as they waived him on September 20, hoping to get him to the practice squad as part of their weekly roster gymnastics.Unfortunately for the Giants, Gipson was claimed by the Eagles on September 22, with whom he remained until December 7. Once he became available, the Giants again snatched him up, signing Gipson to their practice squad on December 10 and then promoting him to the roster on January 3, 2026.As far as his production, Gipson appeared in six games–one for the Jets and five with the Eagles. He caught both pass targets (again, all with the Eagles) for six yards. As a punt returner, he brought back eight punts for 86 yards, and he had 12 kickoff returns for 319 yards. He also lost two of his three fumbles on the season.Contract/Cap InfoGipson is signed for this season on a deal worth $1.145 million, with no signing bonus or incentives. That means if he doesn’t make the roster, the Giants will recoup 100% of that $1.145 million base salary as a credit toward their 2026 cap. 2026 PreviewIt is difficult to predict the wide receiver pecking order on this squad, but Gipson's placement within it is expected to be low, or possibly even nonexistent.He is not going to jump ahead of Nabers, Mooney, Fields, Slayton or Austin, which leaves him in a battle with Beckham, Smith-Schuster, Braxton Berrios, Hodgins, Beaux Collins, Jalin Hyatt, Ryan Miller and Dalen Cambre for the last slots.Because he has enjoyed some success on special teams, Gipson has another potential avenue to playing time. He is younger than Berrios, who appears to be the early favorite to replace Gunner Olszewski as the lead return specialist.Gipson has everything a team could want as a return specialist, but he has to play largely mistake-free football this summer.Ball security issues are the fastest way for a receiver or returner to be jettisoned off a roster, and Gipson, who unfortunately has developed a reputation for having ball security issues in his young career, needs to break that narrative and prove he’s trustworthy with the pigskin in his hand. Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news, and send your mailbag questions to us.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow