Patriots Release RB Antonio Gibson Amid Injury Recovery

The New England Patriots released running back Antonio Gibson on Monday, parting ways with the 27-year-old as he continues to recover from a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. The move came ahead of the 2026 NFL offseason and clears cap space for the team, which now projects to have more than $38 million available under the salary cap.

Gibson signed a three-year contract with the Patriots as a free agent in 2024, entering the final year of the deal with no guaranteed money remaining. He stood to earn $2.85 million in base salary for 2026, which carried a $4.14 million cap hit. The release saves the Patriots approximately $3 million in cap space while incurring about $1 million in dead money, according to salary cap data. Officials with the team did not provide a specific reason for the decision, but Gibson's injury occurred during a Week 5 victory over the Buffalo Bills in early October 2025, sidelining him for the remainder of the season and preventing him from participating in the playoffs.

Prior to the injury, Gibson served as the Patriots' No. 3 running back behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, while also handling lead kick return...