Patriots' backfield suffers notable blow due to injury

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

Antonio Gibson's injury presents a challenge for New England Patriots

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 ($2.85M) is guaranteed, however. Especially in the wake of Monday’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.