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It’s been well-reported by now that the Miami Dolphins are expected to let tight end Mike Gesicki walk in free agency. Gesicki, who played on the franchise tag in 2022, spent his first five seasons in Miami.
The Dolphins changed their offensive philosophy under first-year coach Mike McDaniel and Gesicki’s usage plummeted. The former Penn State tight end caught 32 balls on 52 targets for 362 yards — each the lowest total since Gesicki’s rookie season.
However, he did find the end zone five times, and executives around the league are reportedly interested to see what he can do as a featured player on offense.
Jordan Schultz, an NFL insider for theScore, mentioned on Twitter that Gesicki was a name he heard a few times throughout Super Bowl week.
FA TE Mike Gesicki was a name I heard a lot of buzz on during Super Bowl week. “He will be so much better once he’s in an offense that designs routes for his skill set,” one executive told me. “He’s a 70-80 catch guy when schemed for.”
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) February 14, 2023
Schultz noted that one executive believes he can be a 70-80 catch guy when schemed for, which was the case in 2020. With Ryan Fitzpatrick behind center for most of the season, Gesicki caught 53 of 85 targets for 703 yards and six touchdowns.
After five seasons in Miami, the franchise is stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to keeping the former second-round draft pick. Nobody denies Gesicki’s talent, but it’s also hard to ignore the success of McDaniel’s offense — even if it doesn’t maximize every player’s skill set.
Franchises are forced to make tough decisions, but this seems right. The Dolphins will continue searching for players that can thrive in Miami, and Gesicki is in line for a massive payday in a few months.
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