Mike Gesicki should heed warning signs when weighing free agency options beyond re-signing with Bengals
There are nearly two dozen Cincinnati Bengals players scheduled to hit free agency in March. Most of their fates can be predicted as they're either inexpensive young players who can be retained with ease, or they're aging veterans unlikely to be brought back. Some are true unknowns, like tight end Mike Gesicki. After turning in a […]
There are nearly two dozen Cincinnati Bengals players scheduled to hit free agency in March. Most of their fates can be predicted as they're either inexpensive young players who can be retained with ease, or they're aging veterans unlikely to be brought back.
Some are true unknowns, like tight end Mike Gesicki.
After turning in a season with more yards than Tyler Eifert in 2015 and more receptions than Jermaine Gresham's 2012 campaign, Gesicki finally has a chance to cash in on the free agency market like he's never been able to do so before. He'd be following the footsteps of C.J. Uzomah and Hayden Hurst as former Bengals tight ends to realize their true earning potential.
Those are also the exact names Gesicki should think about before taking a return to Cincinnati off the table entirely.
Mike Gesicki's early thoughts on free agency
Gesicki does have a desire to return to Cincinnati. The allure of catching passes from Joe Burrow is what brought him to the team in the first place, and it will be a factor when deciding where to go from here. He called Burrow the best quarterback in the world Monday afternoon. Burrow has even told reporters a couple times that he wants him back next season.
Will that outweigh the prospect of making back the money he missed out on the last two years?
Gesicki's most productive season of his career was all the way back in 2021 when he posted 73 receptions for 780 yards and two touchdowns for the Miami Dolphins. He was denied free agency due to the franchise tag and his production dropped dramatically in a new offense. His escape to the New England Patriots ended up tanking his market even more the following offseason, which is how he ended up catching 65 passes for 665 yards for the Bengals on a one-year, $2.5 million deal.
He will not be tagged this time around. He knows there's an opportunity to cash in.
"You know, because I came off a career year, got franchise tagged, so I wasn't able to hit the market then," Gesicki reflected to reporters. "And then I went to New England, wasn't utilized nearly as much as I anticipated, so then my market was super low. Not that that's the only thing on my mind is making up money, but it's definitely a motivation, it's definitely a thought process in my mind."
How does that balance with staying where the production came from? Gesicki confirmed that this season went on to be how he wanted it to go, an ideal piece of the puzzle that became the most prolific passing offense in the world. Knowing that Burrow wants him back is icing on the cake.
"I was like, literally this time last year, this is what I wanted," Gesicki said. Like, this is exactly what we talked about, exactly how I envisioned it. So to have him kind of banging the table for me a little bit, it's, it's been exactly how I drew it up."
Why Mike Gesicki should consider re-signing with Cincinnati
Gesicki wouldn't be the first tight end to be a coveted free agent after playing with Burrow for a full season. Uzomah and Hurst were integral components in 2021 and 2022, respectively, and each earned three-year contracts from other teams following those seasons. Uzomah was guaranteed $15 million from the New York Jets in the 2022 offseason. Hurst signed on for up to $13 million guaranteed from the Carolina Panthers in 2023.
Both were released last March. Uzomah's $24 million contract ended up paying him just $16 million. Hurst's deal had a total value of $21.75 million, but he only took home $7.25 million.
Playing with Burrow and the Bengals got both of them paid up front, but leaving Burrow and the Bengals for lesser teams with lesser quarterbacks cost them what they could've earned.
That's the danger Gesicki faces when seeing lucrative offers thrown at him from teams without "the best quarterback in the world," as he put it.
This also falls partly on the Bengals. They were never so interested in retaining either Uzomah or Hurst to the point of coming close to their external offers. They'll end up with a price for Gesicki, but if it's not close to what the open market has in store for him, there should be more of an effort to find a middle ground.
Gesicki proved to be a great fit for Burrow and the offense as a whole. Even if he's not a traditional inline tight end, he was an outstanding ancillary option with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins drawing attention elsewhere on the field. The production speaks for itself as neither Uzomah or Hurst's best years came close to what Gesicki just turned in. Tight ends coach James Casey even compared Gesicki's skills to Eifert long before the season began. He was definitely onto something.
The Bengals should be aligned with their QB and want Gesicki back. Gesicki should want to make more money and stay with the QB who can keep getting him paid. The weighing of variables should result in that outcome.
"You have to take a lot of things into account," Gesicki said. "This place is awesome. They welcomed me with open arms, and I'm super grateful for it. I will always—no matter what happens—remember this year was a lot of fun and a lot of relationships that I made that will carry with me for the rest of my career and the rest of my life."
Gesicki could find himself a max offer from a great team and get the best of both worlds. That's not always how free agency goes, but it's not impossible by any means. If that happens, Burrow and Co. should wish him well as they move on to the next like they've become so used to doing. Burrow's top tight end target has changed in every single one of his five years.
If there were ever a time for the revolving door from turning, it would be now with the best of the bunch. Gesicki only has to look back a few years to understand why it would be in his best interest.
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