After an exciting Week 1 victory over the Bills, the New York Jets had two players win AFC Player of the Week honors
After their come-from-behind victory against the Bills in Week 1, the New York Jets had two players win AFC Player of the Week honors.
Safety Jordan Whitehead won AFC Defensive Player of the Week, while UDFA wide receiver Xavier Gipson won AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.
AFC Players of the Week! (Week 1)@Tua | @jwhite_333 | @Gipson22X pic.twitter.com/Wquo5EmWpX
— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2023
From undrafted to Player Of The Week in his first career game.
Congrats, @Gipson22X!!
📰 https://t.co/YQ92Lb7XRM pic.twitter.com/GXtyik2QMe
— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 13, 2023
A hat trick of picks means you gotta get an award.
Let's go, @jwhite_333!!
📰 https://t.co/fUauNNjAgZ pic.twitter.com/JlV9zS7YG9
— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 13, 2023
Whitehead was all over the field for the Jets as a ball-hawking safety, recording three interceptions. Two of his interceptions came on deep passes while the other came on an intermediate route. Whitehead’s third interception set up a game-tying touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.
Not only did Whitehead’s three takeaways help the Jets pull off the victory, but they also helped Whitehead earn a $250,000 bonus, per Field Yates of ESPN.
It’s extremely rare for a player to hit an incentive in Week 1 of the regular season, but Jets S Jordan Whitehead did exactly that.
His 3 interceptions earned him a $250,000 bonus.
Arguably the most impactful player on the field during an unusual Week 1 opener. pic.twitter.com/hQEIqCtVY1
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 12, 2023
Gipson, an undrafted free agent out of Stephen F. Austin, built upon his great preseason with his performance on Monday night. He showed his explosive-play ability on a game-winning punt return touchdown in overtime. After fielding the punt, Gipson quickly reversed direction, found the sideline, and followed his blockers all the way for the game-winner.
It was the continuation of a feel-good story that began when the Jets signed Gipson after the draft. The rookie has impressed both as a returner and as a playmaker at wide receiver. He displayed shiftiness and explosiveness as a ball carrier throughout the preseason, whether on special teams or when catching passes.
The Jets rewarded Gipson with a roster spot due to the talent he showed all preseason, and the team had their faith rewarded on Monday night.
It has been a somber past few days for Jets fans in the wake of the Aaron Rodgers injury, but they can take solace in the fact that other areas of the team continued to shine. While the road ahead is now more challenging, this week’s awards show that the team can win games on the back of its defense and special teams.
