After two years 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 they 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.
Cincinnati has Tanner Hudson, Drew Sample, Erick All, and Tanner McLachlan on their roster at tight end. However, 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,” quarterback Joe Burrow said in his Tuesday press conference. “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.” Burrow also mentioned that Gesicki has been great for them and has everything you can ask for on the field and off.
Gesicki had 73 catches for 780 yards with two TDs in 2021 while playing for Miami before catching just 32 passes for 362 yards with five touchdowns in 17 games for New England in 2022. In 17 games last season, Gesicki caught 29 passes for 244 yards with two touchdowns for New England. Despite having lower numbers than his previous seasons, Gesicki is looking forward to working with Burrow and building trust to earn on-field success.
