“NOT WHAT I WANTED”: Antonio Gibson Gets Brutally Honest About First Season with Patriots

When the New England Patriots signed running back Antonio Gibson to a two-year deal last offseason, they were hoping he would provide a perfect complement to Rhamondre Stevenson.

The Patriots especially seemed to like Gibson's ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, a skill he displayed rather regularly during his four-year stay with the Washington Commanders.

Needless to say, New England really didn't get that from Gibson in 2024, as he logged just 23 catches for 206 yards. It represented the least productive campaign as a receiver of his career, and in the previous three seasons, he totaled over 40 receptions each year.

This was not lost on Gibson, who didn't mince words when asked how he felt about his debut campaign with the Pats.

“Not going to sugarcoat it, not what I wanted,” Gibson told reporters. “But, you know, there’s always room to build and that’s the goal. We come in here, new year, looking for the positives and that’s what we’re doing. Fresh start, we’re here a week early, so we’re one week ahead of a lot of teams right now. We’re going to start from there.”

The Patriots certainly didn't seem to utilize Gibson correctly this past season, but perhaps new head coach Mike Vrabel will find new ways to deploy him in 2025.

That being said, there has been a lot of talk that New England could potentially add another halfback in the NFL Draft, and Vrabel himself said that is something the Pats are considering.

If the Patriots do select a running back later this month (and this upcoming class is full of them), it could cloud Gibson's role even further. Of course, New England could also aim to minimize the role of Stevenson, who fumbled seven times in 2024, or maybe even trade him, but that will likely be difficult to do after the Pats handed him a four-year extension last year.