The Cincinnati Bengals have added a new target for Joe Burrow. The Bengals are set to sign former Dolphins and Patriots tight end Mike Gesicki to a one-year contract, according to ESPN. The deal is worth up to $3.25 million.
Gesicki spent the first five years of his career in Miami after he was selected near the top of the second round back in 2018. He eventually rose to becoming a key part of the team's offense during the Brian Flores era, but his first season under Mike McDaniel saw his usage dramatically slashed. He then signed a one-year, $4.5 million deal with New England last offseason.
Splitting time with Hunter Henry, Gesicki picked up 29 receptions for 244 yards and two touchdowns last year. Combined with his final season in Miami, he has just 61 catches for 606 yards over the past two seasons -- totals that each fall short of his 73-catch, 780-yard campaign in 2021.
For the Bengals, this is the second consecutive year that they're signing a former second-round pick to a one-year deal to play tight end, after they did the same with Irv Smith a year ago. Smith ended up playing only 44% of offensive snaps and catching 18 passes for 115 yards and one score.
Gesicki is more of a vertical threat at the tight end position, and he's often at his best operating out of the slot. With Tyler Boyd likely leaving in free agency and Tee Higgins requesting a trade, the Bengals will need someone to fill both Boyd's slot role and Higgins' field-stretching role, and Gesicki can potentially do a bit of both of those things -- albeit not at nearly as high a level -- for a very low cost.
