The kickoff rules in 2024 have changed drastically and will become more relevant in the NFL than ever. The New York Jets are trying to utilize these new rules for their benefit and have even taken some time to address their kick return position in free agency.
Jets general managed Joe Douglas added former Bears running back Tarik Cohen in late May, which was the first sign of the team's interest in upgrading its special teams unit. Because of injury, Cohen hasn't played in years, but head coach Robert Saleh spoke highly of him when the Jets announced the deal.
New York also has talent elsewhere on their roster. Second-year receiver Xavier Gipson returned kicks on multiple occasions for Gang Green in 2023 and is one of the leading candidates to take on the mantle in 2024.
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The Jets are putting stock into this position that's been negligible for some time and it's going to be crucial that they get it right due to the amount of opportunities that'll be presented with these rule changes. Nevertheless, only one player on this team will win the starting job.
Here's a breakdown of who should be the Jets' main kick return specialist this season.
Who is the Jets' best kick return option in 2024?
When looking at who would be the better return option for the Jets this season between Gipson and Cohen, multiple factors come into play. Health plays a major role, but recent success, ball skills and speed are also vital elements of the position.
RB Tarik Cohen
Cohen is nicknamed "the human joystick" for a reason. Saleh pumped his fist in excitement after being told of the Cohen signing during a press conference, calling him an "explosive player, starting to get back healthy."
The 5-foot-6 speedster was lightning in a bottle for the Bears, especially in 2018 when he was selected to a Pro Bowl and was named First-Team AP All-Pro. That being said, these accolades were the result of his duties as a punt returner. He returned a total of 33 punts for 411 yards with his longest runback amounting to 44 yards.
His kick return numbers in not only just 2018, but his entire career have been very pedestrian. From 2017-2020, Cohen returned 30 kicks for a total of 628 yards, and these numbers are misleading as most of these numbers point to his rookie season.
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Ball skills have also been an issue for Cohen. He fumbled 13 times in his 51 games played. Saleh mentioned how "these kick returners, they are going to touch the ball over 100 times a year, which is significant." If this is the case, it's tough to see using someone who has lacked ball protection ability in the past for this projected span of touches in 2024.
Cohen's career had been stunted because of injury after he broke his right leg and tore his ACL and MCL in 2020, missing that whole year and the entirety of the 2021 season. Injuries continued to mount for Cohen as he tore his Achilles while training on Instagram Live in 2022, derailing his chance to get back on the field. The 29-year-old hasn't played a down since 2020, but if he turns out to get healthy as coach Saleh alluded to, his speed could be a threat.
WR Xavier Gipson
Gipson was highlighted on HBO's "Hard Knocks" before the 2023 season started. He impressed coaches and players throughout training camp and ultimately won the starting job in his rookie season. His Jets career couldn't have started on a better foot with the infamous punt return for a touchdown in overtime to beat the division-rival Buffalo Bills in Week 1 in the same game Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles.
From that point on, Gipson had an average year at best both kick and punt returning. Gipson recorded 22 kickoff returns, which was the second-highest in the NFL, and played all 17 games. In this timeframe, he'd averaged 23.2 yards per kick return in 2023 with his longest return only 34 yards. Similar to Cohen, Gipson's ball skills weren't the best as a return option fumbling 3 times on special teams.
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Despite that, Saleh believes in Gipson, raving about him, his ability, and what he brings to the table.
"That kid is electric with the ball in his hands," he said. "If I'm a team I'm not kicking to him."
Even though Gipson didn't have the best rookie season, he's young and showed flashes of what he can provide as a return option.
When you look at how Cohen's career has turned out with his lack of production, injuries, and now his age, it's more likely Gipson will have the edge to start at the moment. Gipson will still have to showcase his talent during training camp as the position is certainly not a given.
