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Antonio Gibson

Commanders Rumors: Gibson, Rivera, Quon

May 20th, 2023 at 5:43pm CST by Ely Allen

The Commanders running backs room has some exciting depth with a fully healthy Brian Robinson entering his sophomore season and sixth-round pick out of Kentucky Christopher Rodriguez coming in as the new rookie in the position room. While Robinson and Rodriguez elicit some excitement in the nation’s capital, head coach Ron Rivera is still excited about what fourth-year back Antonio Gibson brings to the room.

Gibson seems to often be forgotten despite a string of strong performances to open his career. As a rookie, Gibson shouldered the lead-back duties en route to 1,042 scrimmage yards (795 rushing, 247 receiving) and 11 rushing touchdowns. In his sophomore season, he showed improvement with 1,331 scrimmage yards (1,037 rushing, 294 receiving) and 10 total touchdowns (seven rushing, three receiving). Last season, Gibson gracefully took a back seat, allowing Robinson to come into the lead-back role after recovering from his gunshot wound.

Gibson started the first five contests of the season until Robinson was ready to take the reins. Even after allowing Robinson to start taking more and more carries, Gibson stayed ready, rushing for double-digit carries when asked and continuing to perform as the team’s best receiving back. He was, in fact, one of the league’s best receiving backs, finishing below only 49ers star Christian McCaffrey in receiving rating for running backs, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Not only that, but Gibson even took on additional duties, returning kicks for the team from Week 6 on.

Gibson should continue in a third-down/passing-down role and should continue to contribute strongly off the bench. The coaches are still excited about what he can do, and Gibson should be motivated to continue making the most of his opportunities with free agency looming on the horizon of the season.

Here are a few more rumors coming out of Washington, D.C.:

  • Lost in all the recent conversations of a potential ownership change in Washington is its impact on other team leaders. Rivera has experienced a change of regimes before in Carolina, when the franchise changed hands from Jerry Richardson to David Tepper. Rivera told Matthew Paras of The Washington Times that, while Richardson was a bit more hands-off, Tepper required “constant feedback and attention to things.” Tepper’s need for involvement was not something for which Rivera had been prepared, but now, having had that experience, Rivera feels he knows what it will take to “mesh” with the team’s future ownership. “I’ve got to be very specific and very clear cut with what our vision is going forward,” Rivera told Paras. “And it has to mesh…When that opportunity comes, when I sit down (with new ownership) and go through the explanation, I’m going to be very concise.”
  • The Commanders made an addition to their training staff this month, rehiring assistant athletic trainer Doug Quon to his previous role, according to Nicki Jhabvala and Mark Maske of The Washington Post. Quon was placed on administrative leave a bit over 18 months ago during an investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration into head athletic trainer Ryan Vermillion. Quon was placed on leave shortly after Vermillion, but Quon was never charged and was never officially tied to the activities that got Vermillion suspended from working with any NFL team indefinitely. After being approved by both the NFL and the NFL Players Association, Quon officially rejoined the Commanders at rookie minicamps earlier this month.

Commanders Looking To Add Running Back

April 3rd, 2023 at 12:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

A desire to for an even more run-oriented offense served as one of the disagreements between Ron Rivera and since-ousted OC Scott Turner last season. The Commanders ranked fourth in the NFL in rushing attempts in 2022 and stood down in free agency, despite many starter-caliber backs being available at low rates.

Rivera still wants to add another piece at the position, John Keim of ESPN.com tweets. Washington released J.D. McKissic, who had backtracked on a Buffalo commitment in 2022 to re-sign with the team, last month to clear some cap space. And Rivera indicated Antonio Gibson, who saw Brian Robinson move into his role as the team’s lead running back, can step into the McKissic role.

Still, the Commanders can be expected to bring in another notable player at this spot. The team’s potential sale has held up some offseason matters, including signing bonus finality, but a running back addition would likely not qualify as a major financial investment. This year brought a deep class of backs in free agency, but most have found homes — many doing so on low-cost deals. Ezekiel Elliott, Kareem Hunt and Leonard Fournette remain unattached, however.

Washington has used Round 3 to add each of its current backfield mainstays, taking Gibson in 2020 and Robinson in 2022. Gibson is going into a contract year. Former UDFA Jaret Patterson and veteran Jonathan Williams, signed off the Giants’ practice squad in December 2021, round out the Commanders’ backfield crew. These two can expect more competition for a roster spot to arrive soon.

Washington ranked 12th in rushing but just 28th in yards per carry last season. Robinson and Gibson each averaged under four yards per tote, but Robinson’s return from August gunshot wounds coincided with the team’s resurgence. Gibson also caught 46 passes, helping the aerial cause after McKissic was lost for the season after eight games; Robinson did not factor into the team’s passing game much as a rookie.

Bijan Robinson (Texas) and Jahmyr Gibbs (Alabama) reside as this draft class’ top two backs, though it is viewed as a deep crop. Zach Charbonnet (UCLA), Devon Achane (Texas A&M) and Senior Bowl standout Tyjae Spears (Tulane) represent the top contingent of backs expected to be in consideration for Day 2 selections.

NFC Injury Rumors: Rams, Commanders, Penning, Swift

January 11th, 2023 at 9:10pm CST by Ely Allen

Rams rookie safety Russ Yeast endured a scary moment on Sunday in the team’s loss to the Seahawks, according to Sarah Barshop of ESPN. The seventh-round pick earned the first start of his career in place of Nick Scott, who was placed on injured reserve last week.

In the game, Yeast suffered a pulmonary contusion and needed to be taken to the hospital via ambulance. Head coach Sean McVay told reporters that Yeast was in stable condition but would stay in the hospital overnight. Yeast was reportedly scheduled to return to Los Angeles on Monday, according to The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue.

Following the dramatic events around Bills safety Damar Hamlin, another cardiac event requiring a hospital visit was the last thing the NFL wanted to see in Week 18.

Here are a few other injury rumors from around the NFC:

  • As the Commanders‘ season came to an end, Washington decided to address some players’ injuries, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. Head coach Ron Rivera informed the media before their final regular season matchup that running back Antonio Gibson underwent surgery to repair a fracture in his foot. Additionally, defensive tackle John Ridgeway tore a pectoral muscle in the team’s season finale against the Cowboys. He’ll have the full offseason to recover.
  • Saints first round rookie tackle Trevor Penning missed much of his first NFL season with a foot injury. What was initially thought to be a “bad case of turf toe” ended up being a torn ligament in his foot, resulting in him missing the first 11 games of his debut season. Penning would eventually work his way back and earn some snaps as a backup lineman before earning the first start of his career in Week 18. Unfortunately, a rough start for the Northern Iowa product has gotten even tougher as he suffered a Lisfranc injury in the season finale against the Panthers, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. Penning faces a long recovery of approximately five to six months, but if he can come back by June, he should be able to make it back for part of the offseason training program in New Orleans.
  • Early in the season, Lions running back D’Andre Swift suffered a high ankle sprain and a separated shoulder that would dog him for the rest of the year. Despite playing through those ailments for much of the season, there doesn’t appear to be any need for surgery in the offseason, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Swift will reportedly meet with medical professionals in the next few weeks but is under the impression that, come next season, he will be fully healthy and ready to go.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/5/23

January 5th, 2023 at 6:19pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Washington Commanders

Gibson missed Week 17 with a knee injury, and the issue will also force him to miss the regular season finale. Despite an uncertain role with Brian Robinson and J.D. McKissic on the roster, Gibson still managed to put up solid numbers, finishing the campaign with 899 yards from scrimmage and five scores. Of course, this was a far cry from his first two seasons when he collected 21 touchdowns and more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage.

Patterson will be taking the open spot on the depth chart. After collecting more than 300 yards in 17 games for Washington last season, the RB has only seen time in a pair of games in 2022.

NFL Injury Rumors: Week 17 Updates

December 31st, 2022 at 7:56pm CST by Ely Allen

Updates to injury questions heading into the Sunday slate of games:

  • Cardinals star receiver DeAndre Hopkins will miss this Sunday’s game in Atlanta with a knee injury, according to the team’s final injury report. The injury seemed to appear from nowhere late this week and, with the Cardinals eliminated from playoff contention, it would not be a surprise to see Hopkins sit for the remainder of the season. Quarterbacks David Blough and Trace McSorley will have to rely on Marquise Brown, Greg Dortch, A.J. Green, Robbie Anderson, Pharoh Cooper, and recently promoted Andre Baccellia in the meantime.
  • The Commanders will have to face Cleveland tomorrow without running back Antonio Gibson, according to the team’s official Twitter account. With Gibson out due to an ankle sprain, Washington will likely continue to rely heavily on rookie starter Brian Robinson. Veteran running back Jonathan Williams will likely find himself in an increased role tomorrow, as will elevated practice squad back Jaret Patterson.
  • Despite returning to practice this week, 49ers star receiver Deebo Samuel is unable to play this weekend against the Raiders, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Rookie quarterback Brock Purdy will have at least one more week depending on the likes of Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, Ray-Ray McCloud, tight end George Kittle, and running back Christian McCaffrey without Samuel. Head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated that there’s “a chance” Samuel will be able to return next week.
  • Buccaneers right tackle Tristan Wirfs reportedly aggravated his ankle injury last week against the Cardinals, but according to Jenna Laine of ESPN, Wirfs intends on playing regardless. Tampa Bay is also hoping to get starting left tackle Donovan Smith back for tomorrow’s game against the Panthers. If Smith does play, it will be the first time the two have appeared in a game together since a Week 12 loss to the Browns.
  • The Texans have confirmed that two starters are no longer in question to play this weekend as right tackle Tytus Howard and rookie left guard Kenyon Green are both expected to play against the Jaguars, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Howard had to clear concussion protocol in order to play this weekend and successfully did so. Green has missed Houston’s last two contests with an ankle injury but has reportedly improved considerably. Backup interior lineman Jimmy Morrissey was unable to clear concussion protocol and will be unable to play this Sunday.

Commanders HC Ron Rivera Refused To Trade RB Antonio Gibson

November 4th, 2022 at 8:42pm CST by Ely Allen

As the trade deadline came and went, several teams seeking help at running back reached out to the Commanders, according to Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports. Despite “significant interest” in running back Antonio Gibson, head coach Ron Rivera reportedly refused to trade him.

Gibson is currently halfway through his third season in the NFL as well as his third season leading Washington in rushing yards. Gibson came in as a rookie third-round pick out of Memphis and immediately earned the starting job in Washington over Peyton Barber and J.D. McKissic. He pieced together an impressive rookie season with 795 rushing yards, averaging 4.68 yards per carry, and 11 touchdowns. A year later, Gibson took the mantle as a bell-cow back for the Football Team, backed up by the likes of McKissic, Jaret Patterson, Jonathan Williams, and Wendell Smallwood. Given over 54% of the carries, Gibson racked up 1,037 rushing yards and 10 total touchdowns.

The Commanders then drafted another third-round pick in Alabama running back Brian Robinson. Through camp many expected Robinson to earn the starting job over the more experienced Gibson. Gunshot wounds from an attempted robbery put an end to that discussion, putting Robinson on the non-football injury list to begin his rookie season.

Gibson returned to the starting role to begin the 2022 season. Washington went back to its formula from the year before of splitting snaps between Gibson and McKissic right down the middle but still giving the majority of the carries to Gibson. Robinson made his swift return to the field in Week 5 in a limited role before taking snaps as the lead back the following two weeks.

The entire Commanders’ rushing attack was extremely quiet in a Week 8 win over the Colts last week that saw quarterback Taylor Heinicke and wide receiver Curtis Samuel tie for the team-lead in rushing yards with 29. While the game didn’t appear to be much of a success for Washington’s running backs, it did provide a bit of clarity on how the room shakes out.

Robinson is clearly the power back. He seems to be the first one to have his number called, as well, but he will absolutely be the one used in short-yardage and goal-line situations as well as situations when the Commanders have a lead to protect. Gibson is the primary backup. Not only will he be the first man off the bench when Robinson needs a breather, but he will also be the preferred option on passing plays as an option out of the backfield. McKissic slots in as the third-stringer and a secondary pass catching option with Williams behind him.

Regardless, the news about Rivera’s reaction to calls about Gibson says one of two things: either Rivera is passionate about the role Gibson holds in the Commanders’ future or Rivera still has some question marks about Robinson’s abilities. For now, Gibson remains a Commander, with one year after this season remaining on his contract. Look for whether or not Washington rewards Gibson with an extension this offseason. If so, they clearly have eyes towards his future. If not, they may be planning to wait and see how Robinson develops.

Commanders Activate RB Brian Robinson To 53-Man Roster

October 8th, 2022 at 8:45am CST by Ben Levine

Brian Robinson is in line to make his NFL debut tomorrow. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (on Twitter) that the Commanders have activated the rookie running back from the non-football injury list. Robinson returned to practice earlier this week.

The third-round rookie suffered multiple gunshot wounds in an attempted carjacking at the end of August. The gunshots hit his hip and knee, though there was no serious damage to his ligaments, tendons, or bones, leading to optimism that Robinson would be back this season. The RB quickly provided some optimism when he was seen doing footwork and agility drills in the middle of September. His stay on PUP ended up being a short one, and after opening his practice window earlier this week, Washington will now welcome the rook to the 53-man roster.

Robinson was impressive through the spring and in training camp, leading some to wonder if he could be in line for first-team reps. The rookie saw a significant workload early on in the preseason, and he joined many of the team’s bona fide starters on the sideline for the team’s preseason finale.

It will be interesting to see how much work Robinson gets in a crowded backfield that also features Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic. After topping 1,000 yards from scrimmage in each of his first two seasons, Gibson has earned the start in each of Washington’s first four games this year. After hitting 130 yards from scrimmage in Week 1, Gibson has been limited to only 144 offensive yards over the past three weeks. He snap count has also continued to drop, leading some to wonder if he could be eyeing a reduced role with Robinson back in the lineup. McKissic, meanwhile, continues to serve in his standard pass-catching role, hauling in 17 catches through the first four weeks.

“You’ve got a good group of backs that rotate through and you try to find the matchups that you can exploit,” Commanders coach Ron Rivera said recently (via ESPN’s John Keim).

Robinson had a successful career at Alabama, including a breakout 2021 campaign where he finished with 1,343 rushing yards and 296 receiving yards. Thanks to his performance, he ended up being the sixth RB off the draft board when he was selected by Washington in the third round (No. 98) of this year’s draft.

Commanders RB Brian Robinson In Line For Starting Role?

August 21st, 2022 at 11:02am CST by Rory Parks

Commanders running backs Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson are engaged in a battle for the team’s starting RB job, and Robinson may have a leg up. As Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk writes, Robinson has outplayed Gibson during training camp, and the former earned the starting nod in the team’s preseason loss to the Chiefs on Saturday.

Robinson, a third-round rookie, carried the ball eight times for 31 yards, while Gibson handled just two carries for three yards (though he did have three receptions for 37 yards). What is particularly interesting is that Gibson, despite not handling any kick returns during his first two years in the league, took the opening kickoff in the Kansas City contest.

That usage represents the continuation of a developing trend. Gibson fumbled the ball on his second carry in Washington’s preseason opener against the Panthers last Saturday, and he was relegated to special teams duty when the Commanders hit the practice field on Tuesday, operating as a blocker on the punt team and working with the third-team offense. He began working as a kick and punt returner on Wednesday.

Head coach Ron Rivera has criticized Gibson for excessive stutter-stepping (Twitter link via John Keim of ESPN.com), and while he tried to downplay the significance of Gibson’s special teams deployment and pointed out that his third-year back ran better after the fumble, it presently appears as if Robinson is in line to earn more carries than his veteran counterpart. Indeed, a starting running back probably would not be returning kicks, and after Gibson fumbled six times in 2021, Rivera is understandably willing to give more of a role to a player he thinks will take better care of the football.

Of course, Gibson should remain a key member of the Commanders’ offense. Over 30 games (24 starts) from 2020-21, the Memphis product has accumulated 428 rushes for 1,832 yards (4.3 YPC) and 18 touchdowns. He has added 78 catches for 541 yards and three scores, which is perhaps why Smith speculates Gibson could serve as Washington’s third down/receiving back.

On the other hand, Robinson added more of a receiving element to his game in his final season at Alabama in 2021, catching 35 balls for 296 yards and two TDs to go along with his 271/1,343/14 line as a ball-carrier. In the Carolina game, he had six carries for 26 yards and a score and two catches for 15 yards. He looks the part of a starting-caliber back, and he may well get the chance to prove as much when Week 1 rolls around.

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 1/4/22-1/5/22

January 5th, 2022 at 11:32pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Tuesday and Wednesday’s activations from and placements on the reserve/COVID-19 lists:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Jared Cook, LB Damon Lloyd (remains on IR)

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 12/31/21

December 31st, 2021 at 4:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the New Year’s Eve additions and subtractions from teams’ reserve/COVID-19 lists:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

  • Activated from practice squad virus list: T Drew Himmelman, LB Barrington Wade

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

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