It’s official, the Washington Football team will be without their leading rusher Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. Star rookie running back Antonio Gibson has been ruled out of the game due to his toe turf injury.
Gibson exited last week’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first quarter after two carries. He did not return to the game and has not practiced this week.
Washington head coach Ron Rivera called Gibson’s injury “concerning.”
Offensive coordinator Scott Turner said earlier this week, Washington’s offense won’t change much without Gibson. Running backs Peyton Barber and JD McKissic will be used to compensate for his absence. They’ll be facing a tough challenge, as the 49ers have the ninth-ranked run defense in the league this year.
Gibson, who was primarily a wide receiver in college at Memphis, has emerged ahead of the pack as the featured back in Washington. He leads the team with 659 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.
McKissic has been more of a receiver out of the backfield. He has 56 receptions on the season, second to New Orleans’ Alvin Kamara among running backs. Barber has been a short yardage back, averaging 2.7 yards a carry. Neither has the high level of versatility of Gibson.
Washington (5-7) will be going for their fourth straight win to stay pace in the NFC East. The Giants (5-7) are currently in first place of the division and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against Washington.
