After spending last season with the Patriots, tight end Mike Gesicki signed a one-year deal with the Bengals in March.
Cincinnati had a significant vacancy at the position, as the club did not truly replace former tight end Hayden Hurst once he joined the Panthers as a free agent last year. So, after two consecutive years of dipped production — one with Miami, one with New England — despite playing in all 34 regular-season games over the period, Gesicki’s numbers could be on the rise in 2024.
“Mike’s been great for us,” quarterback Joe Burrow said in his Tuesday press conference. “He’s got a big catch radius. He’s an explosive guy that I’m excited to work with. He’s been everything you can ask for on the field and off. So, he’s been a great addition for us.”
The Bengals also have Tanner Hudson, Drew Sample, Erick All, and Tanner McLachlan on their roster at tight end. But it sounds like Cincinnati will again rely on Hudson and Sample as options for the position.
“I have a lot of reps invested with Drew, so we have that dialogue,” Burrow said. “And Tanner and Mike, Tanner played some last year and played really well in spots. But this is really the first full offseason with him. And then Mike coming in, we have guys we feel really good about. So, I’m going to continue to build the dialogue with those guys so we can earn the trust.
“And, hopefully, that translates to on-field success.”
In 17 games last season, Gesicki caught 29 passes for 244 yards with two touchdowns for New England. While Gesicki had 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.
