New Pats Playmaker Added to Week 1 Injury Report on Thursday
By Ryan Bunton
The New England Patriots made a late adjustment to the injury report on Thursday as they gear up for the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, designating first-year Patriot running back Antonio Gibson as a limited participant with a hip injury.
A few changes on the Thursday injury report:
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 5, 2024
🏈 RB Antonio Gibson (hip) added to the report as a limited participant.
🏈 CB Jonathan Jones (hamstring) upgraded from limited to full participation
🏈 LB Christian Elliss has cleared concussion protocol and is no longer listed https://t.co/PPkC284QTS
Gibson signed with New England this past offseason after four seasons with the Washington Commanders, where he was a teammate with starting Pats QB Jacoby Brissett last season.
Although veteran New England running back Rhamondre Stevenson will receive the lion's share of the workload, the Patriots would likely hope to utilize Gibson as a situational back on third downs or in the passing game.
Gibson saw a moderate workload during New England's three preseason games, carrying the ball 11 times for 29 yards. He also caught two passes for 26 yards. If Gibson is unable to go on Sunday, 27-year-old JaMycal Hasty is listed as New England's third-string back. Hasty hasn't had a regular season carry since 2022.
With a leaky offensive line, new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will likely look to deploy his running backs as safety valves at times in the passing game so that Brissett can get the ball out quickly under duress.
Thursday's initial injury report further exacerbated the offensive line situation, as guard Sidy Sow did not practice. Sow played in 15 games last season, starting in 13. The offensive guard position was already thin as former first-rounder Cole Strange will miss at least the first four contests due to a knee injury suffered in Week 15 of last season. Nick Leverett could be forced to start at left guard, while rookie Layden Robinson is atop the depth chart at right guard.
Both the Patriots and Bengals must file a Game Status Report with the NFL by 4 p.m. ET on Friday when the club will place questionable, doubtful, or out designations on each injured player. The game status report should provide further clarity on Gibson's availability for Sunday's regular-season opener.
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