New Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki signed a one-year pact with the team in free agency.
According to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, the contract checks in at $2.5 million with $400,000 guaranteed, the latter number being the cap hit on the team’s books against the salary cap.
What’s interesting is that Gesicki got one year and $4.5 million from the New England Patriots in March of 2023. The year before that, the Miami Dolphins hit him with a one-year franchise tag worth $10.93 million.
The decreasing money doesn’t correlate to ability or upside though, with Gesicki blatantly a not-great fit in the last two offenses or with poor quarterback situations.
Gesicki is merely the latest veteran tight end to hope a Joe Burrow boost provides a bump on his next contract compared to what the Bengals gave him:
- C.J. Uzomah (3 years, $18.3 million)
- Hayden Hurst (1 year, $3.5 million)
- Irv Smith Jr. (1 year, $1.75 million)
Those first two names went on to sign much bigger contracts with new teams, so the Bengals are more than happy with the latest here.
As such, Gesicki’s arrival as the No. 1 tight end, a 6’6″ target from the slot for Burrow, won’t stop the team from adding to the position as early as Round 1 in the draft, either.
As of this writing, the Bengals have roughly $33.4 million free cap space.
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