BOSTON — The Patriots are signing former Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki to a free-agent deal, a source confirmed to the Boston Herald.
It’s a one-year, $9 million deal, per reports.
Gesicki played on the franchise tag last season in Miami, a down year when his numbers fell to 32 catches for 362 yards and five touchdowns under new coach Mike McDaniel. In each of the previous two seasons, Gesicki topped 700 receiving yards. The 27-year-old is a receiving tight end who can run routes out of the slot and out wide, but has rarely been used as an in-line blocker.
Gesicki confirmed the signing in a text message to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson wrtiting: “Ready to get back to work.”
In nine career games against the Pats, he’s caught 14 passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Prior to the Patriots’ home game against Miami last January, coach Bill Belichick said of Gesicki: “He’s a hard guy to cover. Long. He’s a good, crafty route runner. He’s slick, but he can get down the field. Very good hands, makes some acrobatic catches. Has enough quickness to separate. That’s another hard guy to cover on third down, well on any down. But when you talk about those possession downs, he’s effective.”
In 2020, Belichick described Gesicki as “more of a big receiver.”
Gesicki entered the league as a second-round draft pick out of Penn State in 2018. He struggled as a rookie, but blossomed into one of the league’s better pass-catching tight ends under former Miami coach and Pats assistant Brian Flores from 2019-2021. He possesses excellent straight-line speed, leaping ability and a massive catch radius.
Gesicki was also recruited in high school by Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, formerly the head coach at Penn State.
ESPN first reported Gesicki’s deal with the Patriots.
