Mike Gesicki signed a one-year deal with the Bengals in March, after spending last season with the Patriots. The tight end position had a significant vacancy at Cincinnati, as the club did not replace former tight end Hayden Hurst once he joined the Panthers as a free agent last year. Despite playing in all 34 regular-season games over two consecutive years with Miami and New England, Gesicki’s production had dipped both times. However, his numbers could be on the rise in 2024 with Cincinnati.
Quarterback Joe Burrow said that Gesicki has been great for the team, praising his big catch radius and explosive nature. He is excited to work with him on and off the field. Burrow also mentioned that he has a lot of reps invested with Drew Sample and Tanner Hudson, who will likely be options for the tight end position again this season. However, he is looking forward to building trust with Gesicki and earning his on-field success.
In 17 games last season, Gesicki caught 29 passes for 244 yards with two touchdowns for New England. While he had an impressive 73 catches for 780 yards with two TDs in 2021, he caught just 32 passes for 362 yards with five touchdowns in 17 games for Miami in 2022. With Cincinnati’s roster including Tanner Hudson, Drew Sample, Erick Allison, and Tanner McLachlan at tight end, Gesicki will need to earn his place among them to make an impact on the team’s success this season.