The New England Patriots have officially begun reshaping their roster following their painful defeat to Seattlein the Super Bowl.
On Monday, the team announced the release of veteran running back Antonio Gibson, ending his two-year stint in New England. The 27-year-old had been entering the third season of an $11.25 million contract signed in 2024 and was scheduled to carry a $4.14 million cap hit in 2026, according to ESPN.
Gibson’s departure comes after a year that never fully materialized for him. He suffered a torn ACL in early October, sidelining him for much of the Patriots’ eventual run to Super Bowl LX. Though New England reached the league’s showpiece final, they fell 29-13 to the Seattle Seahawks, a defeat that has clearly triggered internal evaluation.
Shortly after news of his release broke, Gibson addressed the situation on social media.
“Thank you to the organization and the fans for the support and belief but the journey continues and the best is yet to come…,” Gibson posted on Instagram.
Originally a third-round pick by Washington in 2020, Gibson built a productive résumé before arriving in Foxborough. Across 83 career games, he has rushed for 3,287 yards and 24 touchdowns. His breakout campaign came in 2021 when he eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards with 1,037. As a rookie, he found the end zone 11 times on the ground, marking the most rushing touchdowns of his career in a single season.
Beyond his work as a ball carrier, Gibson proved to be a versatile weapon in the passing game, accumulating 1,495 receiving yards and seven touchdown receptions over five seasons.
Patriots Prioritize Tough Decisions After Super Bowl Loss
The decision to release Gibson reflects a broader shift in New England’s roster-building strategy under head coach Mike Vrabel. Following the Super Bowl loss, Vrabel acknowledged that difficult choices were looming.
“I like the foundation of it, and we’ll try to improve on it,” Vrabel explained.
“There’ll be some difficult decisions that we’ll have to make, and we’ll try to do them with the team’s best interest in mind. As always, that’ll never change.”
At running back, the Patriots leaned heavily on Rhamondre Stevenson and rookie TreVeyon Henderson during the 2025 campaign. Stevenson operated as the primary back, while Henderson emerged as a dynamic RB2 option, giving the offense youth and explosiveness at the position.
With Gibson recovering from a major knee injury and carrying a notable cap number, the move signals both financial and competitive recalibration. According to Over the Cap, New England is projected to have roughly $38.5 million in effective cap space this offseason – flexibility that could be used to strengthen other areas of the roster as the franchise looks to rebound from its Super Bowl disappointment.
For Gibson, the focus now shifts to recovery and opportunity. At 27, he remains in his physical prime and has already demonstrated dual-threat ability that could appeal to teams seeking backfield versatility.
For the Patriots, meanwhile, the message is clear: reaching the Super Bowl was not enough. The roster shakeup has begun, and New England is intent on taking the next step – even if it requires parting ways with proven contributors.
Read the full article here
