Suspended Jacksonville safety Tashaun Gipson Sr. will travel with the team to London for Weeks 6-7, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson revealed Wednesday.
Gipson, who reunited with the Jaguars during their August training camp, signed with Jacksonville after the NFL handed him a six-game suspension in July for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy.
Pederson noted the Jaguars received permission from the NFL to allow Gipson to travel a week before his suspension is scheduled to be lifted.
“Yes, even though this week is his sixth week,” Pederson said.
Gipson, a 13th-year pro who previously played for the Jaguars from 2016-18, has logged 684 total tackles including 18 for loss, 2.5 sacks, 33 interceptions, 68 defended passes, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 173 career appearances, including 165 starts.
Thirty-three of Gipson’s starts came with San Franciso over the last two seasons, in which he recorded six interceptions and 11 defended passes.
Gipson tallied 159 tackles with five for loss, six interceptions and 16 defended passes in his previous stint with Jacksonville, a 48-game span.
Gipson’s coverage presence could benefit the Jaguars, who rank last in the NFL for allowing 287.8 passing yards per game and tied for last in interceptions generated with zero.
“That’s something we’ve got to take a look at,” Pederson suggested regarding the potential for Gipson and other defenders currently on the injured reserve to help the Jaguars upon their return to play.
“We’re [in] Week 6 now. You’re looking at [cornerback] Tyson [Campbell] potentially Week 7, you’re looking at [linebacker] Foye [Oluokun], you’re looking at [safety Andrew Wingard], you’re looking at some of these guys that are injured — Tashaun Gipson.
“You look at these guys now, and you know, we’ve got to start the conversation obviously and see where we’re at. Because you never know. I mean, week-to-week, injuries are gonna happen and different things are going to change periodically. But yeah, we’re in the process of trying to figure some of that out now.”
The Jaguars facilitated a situation similar to Gipson’s in 2023, allowing starting left tackle Cam Robinson to travel with the team on its annual London trip amid a four-game suspension. He sat out Jacksonville’s Week 4 game against Atlanta at Wembley Stadium and played Week 5 versus Buffalo at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
