Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said Wednesday that Gibson (undisclosed) should return to practice "relatively soon," Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports.
Gibson is on the non-football injury/illness list for the start of training camp, after seemingly being a full participant in the offseason program. He'll presumably be the No. 2 running back once he's ready to practice, having signed with the Patriots in March on three-year, $11.25 million contract that includes $5.3 million guaranteed. It's good money by backup running back standards, and while Gibson will likely get most of his playing time on passing downs initially, his combination of size (six-foot, 228 pounds) and lead-back experience (258 carries in 2021) means there's potential for large workloads if starter Rhamondre Stevenson misses games.