Washington Commanders running back Antonio Gibson is entering the final season of his rookie contract in 2023. In his first three seasons, Gibson has rushed for 2,378 yards, caught 124 passes for 894 yards, and scored 26 combined touchdowns.
Gibson added returning kicks to his NFL resume last season and thrived in that role, too.
Gibson’s role on offense took a backseat to rookie Brian Robinson Jr. last season. Gibson carried the football 149 times last season, down from 258 in 2021. He did have a career-high 58 targets and 46 receptions in the passing game last season.
Washington added Robinson in 2022 because of Gibson’s fumbling problems from 2021. In 216 touches last season, Gibson fumbled just once.
While Robinson will remain a big part of new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s offense in 2023, you shouldn’t forget about Gibson. Gibson could be slated for a significant role in Bieniemy’s offense, which has former Washington tight end and current analyst Logan Paulsen excited.
“I’m so excited for him, dude,” Paulsen said on his “Take Command” podcast. “He’s really just a good space player that can catch the football. And we’ve been kind of waiting, hoping for something to come along… for someone to utilize him in a dynamic way, and it hasn’t happened.”
Paulsen noted how the screen game will be more prevalent in Bieniemy’s offense, which is music to the ears of Washington fans. At times, it looked like the Commanders were the only NFL team that didn’t know how to run a successful screen, which was frustrating for a team with terrific space players like Gibson and Curtis Samuel.
Paulsen noted some sets Washington ran in the red zone during minicamp, one of which Gibson — lined up in the backfield — was so fast it looked like they [Gibson and the receivers] were all on the same level. It was a receiver set in which you could run the ball from it. Paulsen again reiterated how excited he is that Bieniemy is going to use Gibson in ways that can take advantage of his versatile skillset.
Gibson has the type of skills that make him the perfect back in today’s NFL. He may not rush for 1,000 yards in 2023, but he could establish new career highs as a receiver while still making plays in the running game.
