The Washington Commanders made it a point to upgrade their backfield this offseason, signing veteran Austin Ekeler to a two-year/$8.43 million deal in March. The move came in the aftermath of former Commanders running back Antonio Gibson agreeing to a contract with the New England Patriots during the free agency period.

Gibson spent four years in Washington after being selected by the franchise in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. His usage began to fall off over the last two years due to the rise of Brian Robinson Jr., who totaled 1,530 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground during 2022-23.

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Though Gibson’s time with the Patriots is just beginning, he’s already noticed a difference in the locker room compared to his tenure with the Commanders.

“The locker room is very accepting. I feel like it’s more of a bond here, they do a lot of things together,” Gibson said according to Sports Illustrated’s Patriot Country. “Nothing against my brothers on the other side, but everybody communicates with each other — from offense to defense. That’s a good feeling coming over here and them being accepting.”

The comments don’t necessarily come as a surprise as Washington never finished over .500 during Gibson’s time with the team. The lack of success on the field and diminishing chemistry in the locker room are a major reason why the Commanders decided to make changes at every level of the franchise this offseason.

Washington brought in a new general manager (Adam Peters), head coach (Dan Quinn), and franchise quarterback (Jayden Daniels). The investments will probably take time to truly pay off but there’s no doubt that the current makeup of the franchise has the Commanders beginning to trend up across the NFL.

The Patriots are also entering a new era after promoting Jerod Mayo to head coach. Gibson could be a useful piece out of the gate for rookie quarterback Drake Maye. He rushed 642 times for 2,643 yards with 22 touchdowns while catching 172 passes for 1,283 yards and seven more scores.

It won’t be long before Gibson gets to his old team face-to-face. The Commanders and Patriots will match up in their final preseason game on August 25.

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Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.