The roster shakeup is underway in New England .
Veteran running back Antonio Gibson was released Monday by the Patriots , the team announced, ending the 27-year-old's two-year stint with the franchise.
Gibson, sidelined for much of the Patriots' run to Super Bowl 2026 after sustaining an ACL injury in early October, was set to count as $4.14 million on the salary cap , according to ESPN.
The Patriots announced in February 2026 they released running back Antonio Gibson. Getty Images
He was entering the third year of an $11.25 million deal signed in 2024.
"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 in the wake of his Patriots release.
A third-round pick with Washington in 2020, Gibson rushed for 3,287 yards and 24 touchdowns across 83 games. He crossed the 1,000-yard threshold in 2021 with the Commanders (1,037 yards) and rushed for the most touchdowns of his career in his rookie season (11).
Gibson also tallied 1,495 receiving yards through five seasons and seven touchdowns.
Antonio Gibson originally signed with the Patriots in 2024. Getty Images
The move to release Gibson comes after head coach Mike Vrabel relayed there would be "difficult" decisions to make as the Patriots look to rebound from this month's crushing 29-13 Super Bowl defeat against Seattle .
"I like the foundation of it, and we'll try to improve on it," Vrabel said, but also cautioned, "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."
The Patriots relied on fourth-year talent Rhamondre Stevenson and rookie TreVeyon Henderson in 2025, serving as RB1 and RB2 on the depth chart, respectively.
New England is expected to have around $38.5 million in effective cap space this year , according to Over the Cap.
