Getty Jerod Mayo won over new running back Antonio Gibson.
Recently-signed New England Patriots running back Antonio Gibson likes what he sees in first-year head coach Jerod Mayo.
Talking to reporters on Monday, Gibson described his interaction with Mayo as like “talking to one of the guys.” Mayo became the head coach in February after 24 years of Bill Belichick at the helm.
“I feel like that’s something that might be a positive thing in a locker room for him to be able to relate and communicate like that,” Gibson said via Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald.
Mayo, 38, played for the Patriots at linebacker for eight seasons and won a Super Bowl with the team in 2014. He re-joined the Patriots as an assistant coach in 2019 and moved up to head coach amid owner Robert Kraft’s desire to promote from within.
Gibson highlighted Mayo among the primary reasons why he chose the Patriots in free agency. The Patriots’ rebuild caught Gibson’s attention.
“A bunch of young guys, new coaching staff… I’m super excited about what they’ve got planned,” Gibson said via WEEI’s Mike Kadlick.
Happy trails to Antonio Gibson 👋
Let’s go down memory lane of Thanksgiving 2020 against Dallas😮💨
He spent the first four seasons of his career with the Washington Commanders, which drafted him out of Memphis with a third round pick in 2020. Gibson rushed for 2,643 yards and 22 touchdowns on 642 carries with Washington in that span.
New England signed him to a three-year, $11.25 million deal after his rookie deal in Washington, which paid him $4.93 million over four seasons.
Antonio Gibson: ‘I’m Not Just Here to Take The Back Seat’
While the Patriots already have Rhamondre Stevenson, who has carried the lion’s share of the load before , Gibson expects a load of touches this season and not just be a third-down back.
“I’m not just here to take the back seat,” Gibson said via Kyed.
Last season, Gibson only had 65 carries for 265 yards and a touchdown in 16 game appearances. His more prominent role came in the passing game amid 48 catches for 394 yards and two touchdowns.
Gibson has a history of success catching the ball out of the backfield amid 172 receptions, 1,283 yards, and seven touchdowns in his career. He catches 80.8% of his targets, and Gibson averages 7.5 yards per reception.
Antonio Gibson Could Fill Ezekiel Elliott’s Likely Void
The #Patriots have not reached out to RB Ezekiel Elliott about a potential return and it seems like the two sides don’t have interest in one another, per @cpriceglobe.
With the addition of Antonio Gibson today, I personally don’t see Elliott returning.
New England could use that boost from the backfield amid the likely departure of free agent running back Ezekiel Elliott. Chris Price of the Boston Globe reported that Elliott and the Patriots “have not had conversations” about a new contract “per a league source” on March 11.
Elliott led all running backs with 65 receptions for 313 yards and two touchdowns. He also led the running game with 642 yards and three touchdowns on 184 carries.
Stevenson dipped from his big 2022 season amid just 156 carries for 619 yards and four touchdowns in 2023. He also had 51 catches for 238 yards, behooved the Patriots to find a complementary pass catcher out of the backfield if Elliott didn’t return.
Fellow Patriots running back Kevin Harris played little last season amid 16 carries for 65 yards and three catches for 58 yards in just four games. The Patriots also have running back JaMycal Hasty as the fourth back on the depth chart. He played in just two games last season after the team claimed him off of waivers in November 2023.