Before it was announced that Antonio Gibson had suffered a serious injury in the first half of the Patriots' matchup against the Bills on Sunday night, it was clear the prognosis likely wouldn't be good, based on how Gibson appeared while leaving the field. It was a low hit by a defender to his knee, and it was later revealed that the running back tore his ACL, officially ending his 2025 season.
His absence will be massive for the Patriots to overcome, as Gibson was a sneaky threat in the backfield and has earned the role of kick returner since signing with the team last year.
With just rookie TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson left in the running back room, the Patriots will need to look for some backfield help as soon as possible. They could easily elevate Terrell Jennings or look at the short list of available free agents, the most notable of whom are Gus Edwards, Zack Moss, and Jamaal Williams.
Or they could go with what looks to be the better solution by poaching a familiar face from the Dolphins' practice squad instead.
There might be a super easy solution for the Patriots to fill the hole left by Antonio Gibson
The Patriots are likely in panic mode now that they know they have lost Gibson for the season, but they could look at Miami's practice squad as a source of help. JaMycal Hasty signed with the team earlier this season, after the Patriots cut him during the roster cut deadline, and his familiarity with the team could facilitate an easy transition in his return.
On top of that, he proved to be a solid option on special teams, which might be where Gibson is missed the most, and that puts Hasty at the top of the list of contenders to fill in his role the rest of the season.
JaMycal Hasty should make this team. He does a lot on special teams and has some elusiveness pic.twitter.com/K00p6lxlPE
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) August 16, 2025
He might not be the most productive player in the backfield, as he hasn't ever been given a significant chance to be a true running back for any team throughout his career. But he has been solid when with the Patriots, particularly on special teams, and that could be the role he takes on immediately.
He would be an easy addition, as they can simply sign him from the Dolphins' practice squad and bring him directly to the game-day roster upon his return.
It might be the best solution to their current running back shortage, unless they believe Jennings is better suited for what they need. They did decide to keep him on the practice squad, after all.
We'll have to wait and see, and it doesn't look like they're necessarily in a rush. But it was also clear after Gibson left the game on Sunday that they mostly abandoned the run game other than near the goal line, so it might be wiser to add another running back sooner rather than later.