The New England Patriots made the Super Bowl without Antonio Gibson. In fact, New England went 14-2, including the postseason, after Gibson went down with a season-ending ACL tear in Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills.
Combine his $4.1 million cap hit with the fact that the front office just re-signed running back Elijah Mitchell to a futures contract, and mix in TreVeyon Henderson's emergence as a Super Bowl-caliber RB1 during his rookie season, and Gibson's future in Foxborough looks bleak.
ESPN's Mike Reiss's coverage of the Mitchell signing lends credence that he can be the odd man out. As Reiss noted upon listing all six RBs in the Pats' room, "Gibson, coming back from torn ACL, enters the final year of contract. No guaranteed money remaining. $2.85m salary/$4.5m cap."
In other words, the veteran RB's days with the Patriots could come to an end soon.
Patriots Likely on Crash Course with Antonio Gibson Split
According to Spotrac, cutting Gibson can free up $3.1 million in usable funds that'd be better distributed elsewhere. Certainly, toughness on both sides of the ball could be a better use of funds than an RB3, at best, behind Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson.
If the postseason proved anything about New England's place in the contender conversation, it's that quarterback Drake Maye is woefully underprotected, being sacked 21 times throughout the playoffs, and the Patriots cannot handle a severe pass-rush. Cutting Gibson would give de facto general manager Eliot Wolf some help with bolstering the offensive line.
It'd also be nice to find a star EDGE rusher or a big-play receiver. Stefon Diggs' future is a question mark amid so many controversies, while K'Lavon Chaisson may or may not return in free agency. Chaisson is saying all the right things about a possible return, but there's no guarantee someone else won't throw him a bag to take apart the AFC champs' roster.
Either way, there are many ways to spend $3.1 million than keep Gibson as a depth piece at a position that doesn't need overwhelming depth.
Antonio Gibson Has Options in Free Agency
Gibson's door closing in New England doesn't mean he won't have a fruitful career elsewhere. It all depends on where the 27-year-old ends up. This offseason, there are several possible landing spots with varying levels of potential.
The Seattle Seahawks are the most explosive option. Kenneth Walker III and/or Zach Charbonnet could be on the way out as prospective free agents. If Charbonnet leaves, Gibson could be a cheap alternative, while Seattle has much bigger issues and likely targets in mind if Walker leaves.
The Kansas City Chiefs could be an option, as Mitchell spent time with them before joining the Patriots last season. DeMarco Murray's arrival as running backs coach doesn't help young and raw RBs, but Gibson could potentially step in and thrive in an explosive Chiefs offense, if it remains explosive in 2026.
Finally, the Pittsburgh Steelers are an option. Though head coach Mike McCarthy is known for conservative play-calling, Gibson could be a diamond-in-the-rough option who can be consistent enough to allow the front office to focus on spending money elsewhere in free agency.
With that in mind, the Patriots have every reason to move on from Gibson, just as much as he should welcome a change in scenery after a lost season. Sometimes, offseason divorces can be mutually beneficial like that.