HEADLINES

Antonio Gibson

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/10/25

October 10th, 2025 at 6:53pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves as we head into the sixth weekend of the regular season:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

Tennessee Titans

Cardinals punter Blake Gillikin appeared on the injury report with a back injury in Week 2 but has been otherwise healthy without missing any game time throughout the season so far. Gillikin showed back up on Arizona’s injury report yesterday with his back ailing him once again. He didn’t participate in practice at all today, and it doesn’t look good for his chances on Sunday that the team signed O’Donnell.

Following the Colts’ signing of Michael Badgley on Tuesday, O’Donnell becomes the second veteran specialist out of Miami (FL) to get signed out of free agency this week. O’Donnell punted for the Bears for eight years after Chicago drafted him in the sixth-round in 2014. He spent one year after Chicago with the Packers but remained a free agent throughout the 2023 season. Last year, he got a similar call from the 49ers, who held on to him for eight games after Mitch Wishnowsky was sidelined for the second half of the season with a back injury.

O’Donnell won out in a punting competition with fellow free agents Jack Browning and Matt Haack.

Patriots RB Antonio Gibson Suffers Torn ACL

October 6th, 2025 at 1:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Patriots improved to 3-2 with last night’s win in Buffalo. The team will be shorthanded on offense for the remainder of the season, though.

Antonio Gibson suffered an ACL tear on Sunday, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Gibson was quickly ruled out of last night’s game after suffering the injury. Further testing took place today, including an MRI. The results confirm Gibson will be sidelined the rest of the way.

That news marks a notable blow to New England’s rushing attack. Gibson had been chipping in as a part-time contributor on offense in 2025, similar to last season. The 27-year-old’s statline for the year will include 112 scrimmage yards and one touchdown, a far cry from his high-end campaigns at the beginning of his career with Washington. Gibson is under contract through 2026.

None of the former third-rounder’s salary for next year ($2.85MM) is guaranteed, however. Especially in the wake of today’s injury news, Gibson’s time in New England could very well come to an end this spring as a result. In any case, the team will now need to move forward with Rhamondre Stevenson and second-round rookie TreVeyon Henderson leading the way in terms of backfield usage.

Stevenson has struggled with fumbles during his career, and while he has not been benched as a result his snap share for 2025 stands at 55%. That marks the lowest usage rate since his rookie campaign. Things could of course change in the wake of Gibson going down, but Henderson also represents a candidate for an uptick in carries moving forward. The Ohio State product has recorded double-digit carries only once in a game to date; it will be interesting to see if that changes in the near future.

Gibson topped 1,000 scrimmage yards during each of the first two seasons of his career, scoring 21 total touchdowns over that span. The Memphis product appeared to be on track for a lengthy RB1 stint in the nation’s capital, but after a downturn in usage over the final two years of his rookie pact he departed on the open market. Another trip to free agency could be in store relatively soon, and given this injury finding a lucrative pact will be a challenge.

Patriots Rumors: Staff, Stevenson, Brissett, Baker

December 25th, 2024 at 8:53am CST by Ely Allen

It’s been a rough season for the Patriots in Year 1 of the Jerod Mayo-era. At 3-12, New England is staring a 3-14 season squarely in the face with remaining games against the Bills and Chargers. The struggles have come at every level of the game: the offense ranks 30th in points and 29th in yards; the defense hasn’t fared much better, ranking 24th in points allowed and 21st in yards allowed; and New England has turned in pedestrian numbers on special teams, as well.

When all phases of the game are points of weakness, and player development is becoming an issue, the finger tends to get pointed at the coaching staff. Mayo seemed to admit as much in a recent interview on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show,” on which he talked about a lot of “checklists…to go through” including “what players you want to keep around” and “what coaches you want to keep around.”

The obvious considerations that will need to be made are concerning offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington. According to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, team owner Robert Kraft and his son, team president Jonathan Kraft, were seen in Week 15 seemingly criticizing the play-calling on offense. On defense, the Patriots have had few answers since losing linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley to a season-ending injury early in the year.

Another coach with obvious question marks is the son of the former head coach in New England, safeties coach Brian Belichick. Belichick’s father, Bill, has accepted the head coaching job at the University of North Carolina, and his brother, Steve, is planning to join him from the University of Washington. If Brian also leaves to join his father, that will open up one hole on the coaching staff.

Here are a few other rumors coming out of New England:

  • For the second time this season, it sounds like the Patriots will be considering benching starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson in favor of Antonio Gibson, per Kyed. Fumbles have become a big issue for Stevenson in his fourth year of NFL play. Over his first three seasons, Stevenson combined for seven fumbles with the team losing only three of them. This season alone, Stevenson has matched both numbers with three lost fumbles on seven total. Gibson has had plenty of issues with fumbles in the past, as well. In his four years in Washington, Gibson fumbled the ball 12 times with eight lost to the other team. In 2021 alone, he lost four fumbles on six total. This year, though, on 115 touches, Gibson has only fumbled twice with the Patriots recovering both of them. Gibson didn’t do much with his starting opportunities earlier in the season, but a message was surely sent to Stevenson about his ball-protection. With the season largely out of hand, it seems a message would be the purpose of this benching, as well.
  • The Patriots have seemingly already moved on from veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett in favor of rookie No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye. Luckily for the team, if New England wasn’t quite pleased with Brissett’s services as a backup or mentor to Maye, or at least is not eager to renew those services, they will have the opportunity to move on. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, when initially negotiating a contract with Brissett, the Patriots offered him a two-year deal. Brissett, reportedly, preferred a one-year contract, giving him the opportunity to see how the season played out. With Maye set as the starter for the foreseeable future, both sides will be able to explore other options as Brissett heads for free agency.
  • Rookie fourth-round receiver Javon Baker suffered a concussion in a car accident earlier in December, per Kyed. According to Mark Daniels of MassLive, Baker’s car was t-boned, and he ended up in the hospital. It was a scary incident for the 22-year-old, but he was cleared to practice and appeared in the team’s next game.

Patriots Demote RB Rhamondre Stevenson

October 6th, 2024 at 9:26am CST by Rory Parks

Patriots starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson has fumbled in each of the club’s first four games this season, and we recently heard that head coach Jerod Mayo was considering a demotion for his RB1 as a result. Shortly after Mayo made those comments, he followed through with the plan.

As Mike Reiss of ESPN.com details, Mayo will start Antonio Gibson over Stevenson in New England’s Week 5 contest against the Dolphins. The first-year HC discussed that decision on a recent appearance on the Patriots All-Access television program, saying, “[I had] a conversation with Rhamondre and he won’t be starting. I’ll be upfront and transparent. But he will play. And he understands he has to protect the football going forward.”

Earlier in the week, Mayo was more pointed with his comments. He said, “I’ve had multiple conversations with Rhamondre. But look, we can’t preach that ball security is job security and still have him out there the majority of the time.”

Stevenson, 26, signed a four-year, $36MM extension this offseason, a deal that placed him seventh in the league’s RB hierarchy in terms of average annual value. It also featured $17MM in guaranteed money and underscored the club’s faith in his ability to serve as a focal point of its offense as it transitions to the Drake Maye era. 

Coming into the 2024 season, Stevenson had fumbled the ball seven times in 499 carries; his four fumbles this year have come on 65 carries. That could obviously be a mere anomaly that will correct itself, and despite the demotion, Mayo’s comments suggest that Stevenson will still have a role in the offense and will have a chance to get himself right.

Stevenson has turned his 65 carries into 267 yards (good for a 4.1 YPC average) and two touchdowns. Gibson, who is in his first year in Foxborough after signing a three-year, $11.25MM deal in March, has been more efficient with his lesser workload, gaining 155 yards on 29 carries (5.3 YPC). He proved himself to be a capable receiver during the first four years of his career in Washington, and he has seven catches for 82 yards in 2024.

“I’m more disappointed in myself than anyone could ever be,” Stevenson said. “It’s very simple: I just have to hold on to the ball and have that mentality to come up with the ball every time. It’s my job to do that, and I haven’t been doing it well.”

Gibson is no stranger to fumble troubles of his own, and as Reiss writes in a separate piece, Gibson has expressed support for Stevenson and has encouraged him to stay off of social media.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/28/24

July 28th, 2024 at 5:30pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor moves to close out the weekend:

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Activated from active/NFI list: TE Erick All

Dallas Cowboys

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Thuney has been working his way back from a pectoral injury. After suffering the strain in a Divisional Round win over the Bills, the injury held Thuney out of the team’s final two wins over the Ravens and 49ers. Having passed his physical, Thuney will return to practice in order to take the next steps on his way back to the field.

The Giants weren’t the only team to submit a waiver claim for Rourke as he continues to try and turn his success in the Canadian Football League into an NFL opportunity. Now, after being buried on the depth chart behind Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, and Tommy DeVito, Rourke is able to look elsewhere for that chance at playing time in the NFL.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/24

July 23rd, 2024 at 8:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: OT Julién Davenport

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

  • Reverted to IR: WR Jared Wayne
  • Released from IR: WR Jaxon Janke

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Patriots To Sign RB Antonio Gibson

March 11th, 2024 at 1:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Antonio Gibson will be on the move when free agency begins. The dual-threat running back is set to join the Patriots, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The Patriots will not devote too much money to complementing Rhamondre Stevenson, but the team will still authorize a deal north of the veteran minimum. Gibson will sign a three-year, $11.25MM pact, the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed tweets.

The former Washington back will receive $5.3MM guaranteed, per Kyed, who indicates the contract can max out at $17MM. The Pats are guaranteeing $1.2MM of Gibson’s 2025 base salary ($2.35MM) at signing. This deal brings a bigger commitment than the Patriots gave Ezekiel Elliott last year, though Stevenson should still be expected to lead the way in his contract year.

Gibson, 25, has a history of operating as a supplementary option. The Memphis product, however, was not especially consistent in Washington. Gibson rushed for 1,037 yards in 2021, and he added 1,042 scrimmage yards as a rookie. The Commanders turned more to 2022 third-rounder Brian Robinson over the past two years, and Gibson will do fairly well on the contract front considering he only gained 265 rushing yards last season.

Eric Bieniemy‘s offense minimized Gibson, though last year’s 65-carry season also can be interpreted as a conservation effort through a long-term lens. While the Commanders are moving on, the Patriots will see if the former third-round pick can bounce back in what will still be a low-cost backfield. New OC Alex Van Pelt, after all, did spent four years in Cleveland, where a running back duo (Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt) played a major role.

Commanders Will Not Trade Jonathan Allen

October 29th, 2023 at 9:30pm CST by Rory Parks

The Commanders may be prepared to move at least one of their edge rushing duo of Montez Sweat and Chase Young, but another high-profile defender is not available. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, Washington will not be dealing DT Jonathan Allen, regardless of whether the club loses to the Eagles today and drops to 3-5.

According to Schefter, the Commanders received trade inquiries on Allen following their loss to the Giants last week. While these types of reports often suggest that a team will only move a player if it is “blown away” by an offer, Washington is reportedly unwilling to even discuss the two-time Pro Bowler.

Of course, Sweat and Young are in contract years, while Allen is under club control through 2025. And though Allen carries a salary cap charge that ranks in the top-10 among defensive players and will carry $20MM+ cap hits in each of the next two seasons, that is not terribly unreasonable for a high-end defensive tackle capable of pressuring opposing quarterbacks from the interior of the line.

Despite the fact that Pro Football Focus’ metrics have generally considered Allen to be an average defender against the run, PFF has awarded the Alabama product high marks for his pass-rushing acumen, which is supported by the 16.5 sacks and 47 QB hits he has compiled over the past two seasons. His durability — he has played in at least 15 games every season since 2018 — further enhances his value.

Allen is clearly viewed as a long-term cornerstone, but in addition to Sweat and Young, other platform-year players like QB Jacoby Brissett, RB Antonio Gibson, WR Curtis Samuel, and CB Kendall Fuller are all possible trade candidates, according to Schefter (the ESPN scribe also named LB Cody Barton as a player that could be on the move, but Barton was placed on IR yesterday).

Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com confirm that other clubs have inquired on Fuller, who had two pick-sixes last year and who has added two more interceptions and six passes defensed through seven games in 2023. Among qualified players, PFF presently considers Fuller the fourth-best corner this season and is especially bullish on his coverage ability.

Latest On Commanders Extension Talks, Front Office Moves

August 19th, 2023 at 9:29am CST by Ben Levine

The Commanders have a number of players heading into contract years, including Montez Sweat and Chase Young. We previously heard that the team’s talks with Sweat were on hold following Josh Harris‘ purchase of the team, but Ron Rivera hinted that extension talks with impending free agents could soon resume.

[RELATED: Commanders’ Montez Sweat Extension Plans On Hold]

Speaking to reporters (including ESPN’s John Keim), the Commanders head coach revealed that the coaching staff and front office continues to prepare for negotiations as ownership settles.

“There’s a lot to do,” Rivera said. “To assume anything will happen immediately is unfair; they are still learning and understanding us. We’re still talking with them and trying to get things lined up and in order.”

While the two pass rushers are the most notable players with expiring contracts, the Commanders have other extension-worthy players. This grouping includes running back Antonio Gibson, cornerback Kendall Fuller, and wide receiver Curtis Samuel.

Among the team’s impending free agents, Sweat seems like the most likely to re-sign. Keim previously noted that the Commanders would like to extend the edge rusher. Young’s future with the team is in question after the organization declined the former second-overall pick’s fifth-year option. The Commanders will presumably let Young play out the 2023 campaign before deciding how to proceed.

While the team may be taking their time with player extensions, the Commanders have been busy adding to their front office. With Harris officially taking over the organization, the owner has made his first splash, hiring Craig Fischer as CFO (per Nicki Jhabvala and Mark Maske of the Washington Post). Meanwhile, former Atlanta Hawks COO/MetLife Stadium visionary Thad Sheely has been brought on as a consultant, per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports (via Twitter). Jhabvala adds (on Twitter) that Sheely has been brought in to advise “on real estate and stadium matters.”

Commanders’ Antonio Gibson Eyeing Increased Role

July 14th, 2023 at 12:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2023 season will be the first with Eric Bieniemy at the helm of the Commanders’ offense, and changes in roles and workloads for a number of players should be expected as a result. Antonio Gibson could be a beneficiary in that regard, and he is hopeful to see more work as a pass-catcher this year.

The 25-year-old played as a receiver in college, but he was widely expected to operate as a running back upon his arrival in the NFL. Gibson has showcased his two-way skillet to date with the Commanders, especially last season when he was supplanted by Brian Robinson as the lead back. A continuation of that setup could allow him to return to a more familiar offensive role.

“Hopefully, this year, it comes around to where I can showcase on multiple occasions what I can do out there,” Gibson said during a team interview (video link). “I love being out there. I have fun out there, and once I get the ball in open space, I’m really that guy.”

The Memphis product had a down year in terms of total production from scrimmage, but his receiving yardage (353) was the highest of his career. That helped earn him the continued support of head coach Ron Rivera, and solidify his role as a contributor both on offense and special teams (as a kick returner) heading into the final year of his rookie contract. Production on the ground and in the air could boost Gibson’s free agent value considerably.

Washington has Robinson on the books for three more seasons, and the team added Chris Rodriguez Jr. in this year’s draft. Free agent signing Jonathan Williams and former UDFA Jaret Patterson are also available as depth options in the backfield, but Gibson should shoulder much of the pass-catching duties vacated by J.D. McKissic. He will also look to compete for targets against a WR room led by Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Curtis Samuel and Dyami Brown.

Bieniemy has a background in Kansas City of using offensive skill players in creative ways, so it will be interesting to see how Gibson’s workload takes shape during training camp. His performance during the summer will go a long way in determining how he is deployed ahead of an important season for both player and team.

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