There's a reunion in Jacksonville.
The Jaguars signed Tashaun Gipson, the team announced Sunday, bringing back a safety who started every game for them from 2016-18.
That won't be the case for Gipson this year, both because he now represents a veteran depth option and because he is set to serve a six-game suspension to begin the season.
Gipson received the ban on July 2 for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy and said he accepted the decision on July 8, writing in a statement that he took a supplement one time that he thought to be "completely safe and well within any of the NFL's policies."
He also iterated his desire to return for a 13th professional season, which he's now a step further in accomplishing.
Gipson entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2012 and played his first four campaigns for the Browns, making his lone Pro Bowl for the 2014 season in which he had a career-high six interceptions and led the league with 158 INT return yards.
He then moved on to Jacksonville, where his best year as a Jaguar lined up with the franchise's best result this century. Gipson contributed four picks, seven passes defensed, a fumble recovery and 64 tackles during the 2017 season to help the Jags make a surprise run to the AFC Championship Game.
He's since played for the Texans, Bears and 49ers, for whom he started 33 games over the past two years.
Now back in Duval, Gipson brings 173 games of experience with 33 career interceptions to a defense that ranked 26th in passing yards allowed in 2023. He slots in nicely complementing defensive backs like Andre Cisco, Antonio Johnson and Darnell Savage.
The 34-year-old Gipson is allowed to participate in the remainder of preseason activities, games included.
After that, he's first eligible to return to the field Week 7 against the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium, the second of Jacksonville's two-game stretch in London.
