Report: Mike Gesicki signs contract with Cincinnati Bengals
Former New England Patriots tight end Mike Gesicki signed a contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
“Former Patriots TE Mike Gesicki is signing a one-year deal worth up to $3.25 million with the Cincinnati Bengals, per source,” Schefter wrote on Twitter.
Gesicki will now catch passes from Joe Burrow and play alongside star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
In his lone season with the Patriots, Gesicki finished the 2023 campaign with 29 catches, 244 yards, two touchdowns and 8.4 yards per catch.
In six seasons (five with the Miami Dolphins), Gesicki has 260 catches, 2,861 yards, 20 touchdowns and 11 yards per catch.
Gesicki was the No. 42 overall pick (second round) in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Penn State.
More on the 2024 NFL offseason, free agency
The NFL 2024 calendar year begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 13. At that time, contracts running through 2023 officially run out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams will have a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 5. Beginning March 11 through March 13 teams can enter into a legal negotiation with players who are set to become unrestricted free agents.
In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marks the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 19 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets. On April 24, the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets hits. Following the restricted free agent deadline follows the 2024 NFL Draft, which runs from April 25-27.
More on restricted, exclusive rights free agents
Players with only three years of accredited NFL experience become restricted free agents. Their original team will have the option to apply first-round, second-round, original-round, and right-of-fight-of-first-refusal tenders on players at escalating price tags. The higher the round, the more expensive the tender amount; however, if a separate team does offer a contract and the original team does not match that round pick will be conveyed from the new team to the original team. Right of first refusal only gives a team the option to match or not.
If they don’t match, they get nothing in return. An original-round tender would send a draft pick from whatever round the player was drafted back to the original team if they chose not to match. The original team will have five days to match once a player signs an offer sheet from a new team.