SCHEFTER | Dolphins TE Mike Gesicki will play under the franchise tag for 2022 season

If the Miami Dolphins want to sign tight end Mike Gesicki to a long-term deal before the start of the 2022 NFL Season, they’ll have to get it done by tomorrow, July 15th, when the deadline for teams to sign franchise-tagged players is set for 4 P.M EST.

But as of now, that seems very, very unlikely.

Last week, we heard NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo say it was unlikely the Dolphins would reach an agreement with the playmaking “tight END’. Now, ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting the two sides won’t reach an agreement before Friday’s deadline – something that may come back to haunt the Dolphins if Gesicki goes above and beyond expectations.

Here’s what Shefter tweeted out a short time ago.

Gesicki is one of four players still waiting for a new deal before tomorrow’s deadline. The other players set to play on the franchise tag this season includes Cincinnati Bengals Safety Jessie Bates, Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Tackle Orlando Brown, Dallas Cowboys Tight End Dalton Schultz, and of course, Mike Gesicki.

None of this, however, should come as a surprise — at least to Dolphins fans. After all, head coach Mike McDaniel is the new sheriff in town, and we have all done our homework on what type of tight ends his system requires. Unfortunately, Mike Gesicki, as excellent as he is, doesn’t fit the prototypical mold. He’s not very good at blocking, and most of his snaps have come out of the slot.

He’s a glorified slot wide receiver and will likely warrant around $15 million a season on the open market — or with a new deal. Is that something I’d like to see the Dolphins find a way to make work? Yes, I like Gesicki, but I don’t know if it’s feasible. After all, it doesn’t seem wise for the team to pay their third, maybe fourth, target that type of money. But never say never.

Gesicki spoke earlier this offseason about how he felt receiving the franchise tag from the Dolphins.

“I mean, I don’t think anybody across the league would be mad about a situation that you get to come back, you’re obviously getting an increase in financial purposes and that kind of stuff. It’s obviously not the goal, the end-all, be-all goal. It’s definitely more team-friendly than it is player-friendly. But it just gives me more reason to continue to come back here, work hard and continue to be motivated, get back to work and help this team win football games and hopefully eventually get what I deserve moving forward.”

He continued:

“I am absolutely open to negotiation, but it’s not really up to me, as a lot of this is not. So I just kind of go with the flow…I have a good relationship with Chris (Grier) and Brandon (Shore) and this new coaching staff obviously – maybe that had something to do with it, I’m not sure. I don’t really have all the answers. But I do know the kind of person that I am and the worker that I am and the player that I am, I’m just going to go back out there and continue to do what I do, continue to improve and make plays and help this team win football games and eventually get compensated for it.”

What are your thoughts on the Miami Dolphins not reaching a long-term deal with tight end Mike Gesicki? Are you surprised by this ‘news’? What would you need to see from Gesicki this season to warrant paying him top-5 tight end money? How would you replace him if you let him walk in 2023? Let us know in the comments section below!