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5 things to know about new Patriots RB Antonio Gibson
Gibson reeled in more than 40 catches in each of his last three seasons with the Commanders.
The Patriots bolstered their offense shortly after the NFL’s legal tampering window opened on Monday afternoon.
Per Christopher Price and Nicole Yang of The Boston Globe, the Patriots are signing running back Antonio Gibson to a three-year contract worth $11.25 million, with $5.3 million fully guaranteed over two seasons. There’s also $2 million in rushing and receiving yards incentives for each season on Gibson’s new deal.
Gibson, 25, spent the first four seasons of his career in Washington, with the former University of Memphis standout expected to serve as a versatile weapon in New England’s backfield.
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Here are five things to know about New England’s latest addition at running back:
He was a wide receiver in college
Gibson’s four-year tenure with Washington saw him slotted in as a versatile running back, but the 6-foot-2, 220-pound playmaker was actually a wide receiver during his collegiate career.
During his two years at Memphis, Gibson reeled in 44 catches for 834 yards and 10 touchdowns. As a precursor to his NFL career, Gibson also rushed for 369 yards and four touchdowns with the Tigers.
During his final season with Memphis, Gibson was named the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Special Teams Player of the Year while also earning a nod for second-team All-AAC as a wideout.
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Even though Gibson was primarily a pass-catcher during his time with Memphis, his speed, ability to fight through contact, and versatility prompted him to switch to running back in the lead-up to the 2020 NFL Draft. He was eventually selected by Washington in the third round (66th overall).
He should be a versatile weapon in New England’s offense
For years, the Patriots’ offense featured a versatile, third-down back capable of spelling the top rusher on the roster and extending drives as a short-yardage receiving threat.
New England has yet to feature a dependable pass-catcher out of the backfield ever since James White retired in 2021 — with Gibson offering hope that the Patriots can add that type of playmaker back into their offensive scheme.
Even though Gibson averaged a career-best 5.8 yards per touch during the 2023 season, he was utilized more as a receiving threat with the Commanders — reeling in a career-high 48 receptions on 59 targets.
He was featured more as a rushing threat during his first two seasons in Washington, but Gibson has been a steady receiving option throughout his time in the NFL ranks — averaging 43 catches per year with the Commanders.
Gibson has 172 receptions in his career and has caught 80.8% of his targets.
Gibson’s 6-foot-2 frame has helped him when it comes to both blocking and fighting for extra yardage. According to the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan, Gibson averaged 3.51 rushing yards after contact in 2023 — which stood as the fourth-highest rate among running backs with 60+ carries, per Pro Football Focus.
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Gibson should complement Rhamondre Stevenson in New England’s backfield, with the free-agent pickup likely serving as a replacement for veteran Ezekiel Elliott.
He had a dominant start in Washington
Even though he eventually lost reps in Washington following the arrival of Brian Robinson, Gibson stuffed the stat sheet during his first few seasons as the team’s lead back.
During his rookie season with Washington in 2020, Gibson ran for 795 yards and 11 touchdowns before racking up 1,037 rushing yards and seven scores the following season. Gibson was the first Washington rookie to record 1,000 yards from scrimmage since Alfred Morris in 2012.
But be it Robinson’s arrival or turnover issues as a lead back, Gibson saw his touches decline over his last two seasons in Washington. As he evolved more into a pass-catching option out of the backfield, Gibson’s touches went from 300 during the 2021 season to just 113 in 2023.
He has been plagued by ball security woes
Bill Belichick may no longer be patrolling the sidelines in Foxborough, but Jerod Mayo and the Patriots won’t be carving out heavy reps for Gibson if his fumbling issues persist.
One of the reasons for Gibson’s limited reps on the ground might have been due to ball-security woes, as he fumbled the ball four times in 2023 off of those 113 touches. In other words, Gibson coughed up the ball once every 29 touches.
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Some of that might be a result of his knack for trying to extend plays after contact. He also committed six fumbles in 2021.
He had one of his best games against the Patriots last season
“If you can’t beat ‘em, sign ‘em” might have been Eliot Wolf and Mayo’s approach this offseason when it came to handing Gibson a three-year contract.
Even with his diminished role in Washington’s offensive scheme in 2023, Gibson did plenty of damage against the Patriots in the Commanders’ 20-17 win at Gillette Stadium on Nov. 5.
Gibson gained 32 yards on the ground off of six carries, while also catching all five of his targets from Sam Howell for an additional 42 receiving yards. On three kick returns, he gained another 72 yards.
The Patriots will welcome that type of varied stat line with Gibson during the 2024 season and beyond.
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