Mike Gesicki deserves better from the Miami Dolphins
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins could have had Mike Gesicki involved in the offense as more than a blocker, instead, they wasted a lot of money and wasted his talent.
March is still months away but it is all but certain that Gesicki will be gone once the market opens. The Dolphins won’t re-sign him and Gesicki shouldn’t want to come back. The Dolphins, knowing what we know now, should have let him go last year.
Miami used the Franchise Tag on Gesicki and while the $10+ million was great for the newlywed who signed the contract on his honeymoon, it should have been a new contract with a new team. Miami paid a lot of money to rent Gesicki for a season and then, they did him zero favors to entice other teams to pursue him.
Through 14 games so far, Gesicki has started, officially, one of them. He has 25 receptions for 274 yards. His lowest total since his rookie season. Worse than that? Gesicki has only been targeted 40 times all year. While his four touchdowns is consistent with his previous three seasons, it is more incredible when you consider he did with far less receptions.
In 2021, Gesicki posted 112 receptions for 780 yards and the two seasons previous he posted more than 80 receptions.
We can’t say that Mike McDaniel doesn’t know how to use a tight-end because he had George Kittle in San Francisco. We all know that Gesicki’s strength is not his blocking but this offense should be adding another threat in the passing game and Gesicki is a legit threat from the slot and off the edge as an inline TE.
Miami fans will likely see what Gesicki can do once he leaves Miami. He stands to make a big impact for his next team because they will sign him to a deal with the idea of using him in the passing game as a receiver.
On Sunday, Gesicki was caught on a hot-mic telling Dawson Knox of Buffalo that he was glad he got paid but also added “I’m glad they are using you.” An indirect shot at the Dolphins perhaps? Maybe but so far, Gesicki has been anything but a diva and anything but professional. Next year, he will be exactly the same sure-handed TE/SR with a great attitude for someone else.