\tORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 05: Antonio Gibson #4 of the New England Patriots looks on prior to the NFL 2025 game between New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on October 05, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bennett\/Getty Images) | Getty Images\t<\/p>\n
The New England Patriots decided to shake up their running back room on Monday. Antonio Gibson, who originally joined the team on a three-year, $11.25 million free agency deal in 2024, was released after two seasons<\/a> and 22 total games with the organization.<\/p>\n The move itself did not come as too big a surprise. Not only was Gibson little more than a rotational option in the Patriots\u2019 backfield with an unclear outlook given that Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson reside atop the depth chart, he also is currently rehabbing a torn ACL suffered in October.<\/p>\n That said, let\u2019s take a bigger-picture view at what the transaction means from a New England perspective.<\/p>\n The Patriots entered the offseason with six true running backs under contract<\/a> for the 2026 season, including Gibson as the projected RB3 behind the aforementioned Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson. With him no longer a piece of the puzzle, one layer of depth has been removed behind the top pair and is leaving the group looking as follows<\/a>:<\/p>\n Running back (5):<\/strong>\u00a0Rhamondre Stevenson (38), TreVeyon Henderson (32), Terrell Jennings (26), Lan Larison (34), Elijah Mitchell (45)<\/p>\n Fullback (1):<\/strong> Brock Lampe (46)<\/p>\n Outside of those six players, the Patriots also have two backfield players headed for free agency. Both running back Deneric Prince and fullback Jack Westover are exclusive rights free agents.<\/p>\n Even if Prince and Westover are retained, the Patriots are lacking established depth or long-term developmental upside behind Stevenson and Henderson. While they project as a formidable one-two punch, no Gibson as the third option means that the team might be on the lookout for another player with a similarly versatile skillset.<\/p>\n Before tearing his ACL in Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills, Gibson had not just served as the Patriots\u2019 third running back but also their top kickoff return man. As such, he had averaged 28.5 yards on his 12 runbacks and also scored a 90-yard touchdown in Week 2 versus Miami.<\/p>\n Once Gibson was lost for the year, the Patriots were unable to find similar production and home-run potential. Six other players returned kickoffs for them on the year \u2014 running backs Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson, Terrell Jennings and D\u2019Ernest Johnson as well as wide receivers Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III \u2014 but none emerged as a clear featured option.<\/p>\n With Gibson now officially out of the picture, the competition will start at zero again. Based on flashes, Henderson and Williams seem like the frontrunners at the moment, but there are a lot of factors plus future roster changes that are likely to change that projection.<\/p>\n One of the reasons why Gibson getting released was no surprise was his contract. Carrying a $4.14 million salary cap number, he was the 21st most-expensive player on the team right now. That in itself might not have been a release-worthy problem, but the structure of the pact invited a change: only his $1 million signing bonus proration for the 2026 season was fully-guaranteed.<\/p>\n That $1 million will now be added to the Patriots\u2019 dead cap space for 2026. Meanwhile, the team created $2.14 million in net savings: his gross savings of $3.14 million minus another player with a $1 million salary cap number taking his spot on the Top 51 list of contracts to be counted against the cap once the new league year starts in mid-March.<\/p>\nRunning back depth takes a hit<\/h2>\n
New primary kickoff returner in 2026<\/h2>\n
Cap space created \u2014 for now?<\/h2>\n