There is growing anticipation about the role Washington Commanders running back Antonio Gibson may have under new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. If it’s up to the four-year pro, his new role will return him to his college days.
When recently talking to former Washington players Fred Smoot and London Fletcher, Gibson expressed his desire to play wide receiver.
“I haven’t shown my position…,” Gibson said, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “Every year, we talk about it, but it hasn’t happened.”
Gibson lined up at wide receiver for the Memphis Tigers. In his senior year, he broke out with 38 catches for 735 yards and eight touchdowns. But he also had 33 rushing attempts for 369 yards and four touchdowns. Thus, when the Commanders selected him in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, it was as a running back.
Gibson rushed for 11 touchdowns as a rookie with Washington. He also had 36 receptions. In 2021 Gibson rushed for 1,037 yards and seven touchdowns while hauling in 42 catches and three touchdowns. But he led all non-quarterbacks with six fumbles. Ultimately, he got placed in Rivera’s doghouse ahead of the 2022 season.
Then-rookie Brian Robinson supplanted Gibson as Washington’s lead running back. Gibson got relegated to a third-down back. He had 546 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Still, he snagged a career-high 46 receptions for 353 yards and two scores.
Rivera fancied a power run game with then-offensive coordinator Scott Turner. But Turner is out, replaced by Bieniemy. Bieniemy loves to have his backs involved in the passing game. That’s where Gibson may fit in.
Gibson would like to get involved by lining up as a wide receiver.
“Hopefully, this year, it comes around to where I get to showcase on multiple occasions what I can do out there,” Gibson said. “First, I love being out there. I have fun out there, and once I get the ball in open space, I’m really that guy. At running back, I’m not going to say it’s not [possible], because I’ve seen a lot of guys do it, but those opportunities are not there. Once you catch the ball in that open field, you got so much more space.”
Antonio Gibson has the size of a wide receiver at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds. He also has a blazing 4.39 speed that sometimes cannot be explored from the running back position. Getting him out in space will allow him to show off his speed and agility more.
The Commanders have one of the better trios at wide receiver with Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, and Jahan Dotson. Samuel is a Swiss Army knife like Gibson. Samuel played running back in college before transitioning to a wide receiver for the NFL. Therefore, it’s unclear how many reps Gibson would get at wide receiver.
Gibson’s flexibility with Samuel, and the presence of Robinson at running back, gives Bieniemy a plethora of options to mix and match. If anything, Gibson at wide receiver offers him another chance to get on the field.
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