The Commanders have been trying Antonio Gibson out in new roles this week in practice, including as a potential kick returner.
Now, there's a number of ways one could interpret this move, the most glaring that Gibson may be in jeopardy of losing his job as starting running back to rookie Brian Robinson and the coaching staff is trying to learn if Gibson's even worthy of a roster spot at this point. If you can't even play special teams, it's hard to justify being on the roster.
Or, they could simply be trying to send Gibson a message after fumbling in the first quarter of their preseason opener.
Gibson being utilized as a kick returner — regardless of the staff's intent — is a good thing, Brian Mitchell and JP Finlay explained Friday on 106.7 The Fan.
It should be noted that Gibson returned kicks in college at Memphis, averaging 28 yards per touch in 2019 with one return for a touchdown. Bringing that value to a Commanders roster which doesn't currently have a clear-cut favorite to return kicks could be found gold.
"I don't know who's returning the punts and kicks right now," BMitch said. "I hear different things, but when I see one person consistently, we'll see. The fact that they're trying to have Antonio Gibson work, that excites me. That excites me. Because, you know what? I don't care what position you play. If you're touching the football and you can have an impact on the game, do it."
"I totally agree," Finlay replied. "And I think there was this reaction to Gibson getting work as kick returner, like, 'Oh my God, how demeaning.' Or whatever the reaction was. Like, 'Oh my God, if he's getting work as kick returner, he's never gonna be the running back again.' I think that's so wrong."
"I want people to understand you're not in college anymore or high school... you're in the pros," said BMitch. "And if you're playing special teams and if they're paying you millions of dollars. A lot of people make millions. The average person is making over $600,000 to play special teams. It's a vital position and an impactful position in the game. So those that look at it like that, no, get rid of 'em. This is not high school or college. This is professional football."
"Antonio Gibson, we looked up his stats," Finlay said. "He averaged 28 yards a kick return in college, and he did it enough that the stats are legitimate. He's dynamic with the ball in his hands. He's got elite speed with power. Why wouldn't you want that dude running kicks?
"You know what would be incredibly helpful for Carson Wentz? Instead of starting drives at the 17, start at the 27 or the 32. I think being able to do that is tremendous news for the Commanders. And the folks that get caught up in that, I just don't understand it."
"I get if you're trying to figure out from like a fantasy perspective where to take him and what that means for his role, etc.," he continued. "But if you're just a fan of the Commanders? Here's what the Commanders don't have: enough star players. Let's be real. Go look at Miami and then look at the Commanders. Like, elite people that can house-call the football any time they touch it. Gibson is one of those people, so you want him to touch the ball as much as possible."
"And if his workload is going to decrease as a pure runner, you still want him touching the ball as much as possible," Finlay added. "This is good news. And people get too caught up in his role and what that means, and like his psyche or whatever."
BMitch compared the situation to an office worker being put on a performance improvement plan (PIP).
"First of all, I keep telling people if you're being challenged for your position and a coach is basically telling you they're putting you on a PIP," BMitch said. "They're telling you you haven't been living up to what we expect. We're gonna put you on this three-month thing. Show us what you got [and] you'll be off probation or whatever."
"I think ultimately that's what's happening, " he said of Gibson's situation. "And if a person is not mentally tough enough to deal with that, that's not the guy you want out there. Point blank."
