Mike Gesicki broke through with a solid third season. Only three tight ends produced more receiving yards than Gesicki, giving the former second-round pick some momentum going into his contract year.
The Dolphins have already extended two members of their 2018 draft class — linebacker Jerome Baker (Round 3) and kicker Jason Sanders (Round 7) — but Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes the team does not have a Gesicki extension on its radar going into training camp.
Like most tight ends, Gesicki took a bit of time to develop. Following an unproductive rookie year, however, the Penn State product has totaled 1,273 yards over the past two seasons. Last season, only Travis Kelce, Darren Waller and T.J. Hockenson outpaced Gesicki’s 703 yards among tight ends. That total nearly led the Dolphins, with DeVante Parker accumulating 793 in his 14-game campaign.
The 6-foot-6 pass catcher added six receiving touchdowns. Gesicki will be tasked with further aiding Tua Tagovailoa‘s development this season, though his role in the aerial pecking order may change after the Dolphins signed Will Fuller and used the No. 6 overall pick on Jaylen Waddle. The Dolphins also drafted Boston College tight end Hunter Long in the third round. That could well impact Gesicki’s status.
Kelce and George Kittle have raised the bar for tight end salaries after they had stagnated for several years in the late 2010s. Austin Hooper and recently signed Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry are also earning eight figures on average.
It will be interesting to see if the Dolphins move to extend Gesicki before his contract year begins. Another productive season will make him one of the top free agent pass catchers available come March. The Dolphins would have the franchise tag in play in 2022 as well, though the tight end tag number will certainly be higher than it was this year ($9.6M).
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