The Bengals added a few new weapons to QB Joe Burrow’s arsenal this offseason through free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft.
However, it’s the oldest player of the bunch, tight end Mike Gesicki, who Burrow seems the most excited to play with this year.
“Mike’s been great for us,” Burrow said via Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. “He’s got a big catch radius. He’s an explosive guy that I’m excited to work with. He’s been everything you can ask for on the field and off. So, he’s been a great addition for us.”
The 28-year-old is coming off a down season with the New England Patriots, registering just 29 catches for 244 yards and two touchdowns, but he served as the No. 2 tight end behind Hunter Henry.
Cincinnati hopes Gesicki can return to his 2021 form when he had a career-high 73 catches for 780 yards with the Miami Dolphins.
There’s no arguing that Gesicki is getting to play with the best quarterback he’s had since entering the league as a second-round pick in 2018. Maybe he will finally reach his full potential this season.
The Bengals have been trying to replace former tight end Hayden Hurst since he joined the Carolina Panthers in free agency last year. They added Iowa’s Erick All (fourth-round pick) and Arizona’s Tanner McLachlan (sixth-round pick) in this year’s draft.
With his experience and growing confidence from Burrow, it would be surprising if Gesicki didn’t get the first crack at being Cincinnati’s starter.
Only time will tell if Gesicki or another one of the Bengals’ tight ends can finally live up to expectations, but Burrow seems very optimistic about the room as of now.
“We have guys we feel really good about. So, I’m going to continue to build the dialogue with those guys so we can earn the trust,” Burrow added. “Hopefully, that translates to on-field success.”
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