By Tiffany Williams –
The roster churn of late winter continued across three major leagues this week, as the New England Patriots released running back Antonio Gibson, the New York Yankees extended a spring training invitation to veteran outfielder Randal Grichuk, and the National Basketball Association recognized Milwaukee forward Bobby Portis Jr. for his off-court impact.
New England’s decision to move on from Gibson ends a brief tenure that began when he signed as an unrestricted free agent from Washington on March 14, 2024. The 27-year-old, 6-foot, 228-pound back was originally drafted in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Memphis and built a reputation as a dual-threat contributor. Over 83 NFL games with 35 starts, he amassed 3,287 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns, along with 1,495 receiving yards and seven receiving scores. He also added value in the return game, bringing back 56 kickoffs for 1,407 yards and a touchdown.
Last season, however, proved abbreviated. Gibson was limited to five games after suffering an injury at Buffalo on Oct. 5. He finished with 25 rushing attempts for 106 yards and one touchdown, two receptions for six yards, and 12 kick returns for 342 yards and a touchdown. One of those moments came early in the year, when he earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors from the NFL for a 90-yard kickoff return in a 33-27 victory at Miami on Sept. 14, 2025. For a Patriots team navigating roster retooling and depth questions, the move signals a continued evaluation of backfield roles and special teams contributions heading into the next phase of the offseason.
In baseball, the Yankees’ invitation to Grichuk adds a seasoned bat to their 2026 Major League spring training mix. The 34-year-old owns a .251/.298/.465 slash line across 12 Major League seasons, totaling 212 home runs and 629 RBIs in 1,361 games. His career has spanned stops with St. Louis, Toronto, Colorado, the Los Angeles Angels, Arizona and Kansas City, reflecting both durability and the itinerant nature of veteran power hitters in today’s game.
Grichuk split the 2025 season between Arizona and Kansas City, hitting .228/.273/.401 with nine home runs in 113 games. Defensively, he has appeared at all three outfield positions, logging the bulk of his innings in right and center field. For the Yankees, whose roster construction often balances established stars with experienced depth pieces, the non-roster invitation presents low risk with potential upside. Grichuk’s right-handed power and positional flexibility could factor into bench competition or provide insurance against injuries over a long season.
In the NBA, the league and the National Basketball Players Association announced that Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr. has been named the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award winner for January. In honor of his efforts supporting mentorship and addressing food insecurity, the NBA and the NBPA Foundation will donate $20,000 to the Bobby Portis Foundation.
“Giving back isn’t something I do on the side; it’s who I am,” Portis Jr. said. “I was raised to uplift the people around me, and I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without my community pouring into me. So, any time I have a chance to show up, help, or make a kid smile, I’m going to do it. Using my platform to give back is important to me because it’s bigger than basketball; It’s about making a real impact and helping others feel seen, supported, and inspired to chase their own dreams.”
Portis Jr.’s work has included youth mentorship initiatives across Wisconsin, including a November 2025 visit to the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha, as well as his “Bobby’s Crew” program, which provides tickets to Milwaukee mentoring organizations for each Bucks home game. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and supports local food distribution efforts, in addition to involvement with blood donation awareness campaigns.
The NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award honors Hall of Famer Bob Lanier’s decades-long influence as a league executive and ambassador. Each season features an offseason winner and seven monthly recipients, with corresponding donations directed to the player’s chosen charity. In a sports landscape often dominated by transactions and statistics, the recognition underscores the league’s continued emphasis on community engagement as a parallel measure of impact.