Mike Gesicki signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. He comes back to Cincy on a 3-year, $25.5 million deal. He stays put and gives Joe Burrow another weapon in that high-powered passing attack. The Bengals are making another push at a Super Bowl. Despite falling short of making the playoffs in 2024 they had some high points and lots to be excited about. Gesicki re-signing is a step in the right direction. Now that the first tight end is off the board who wins and who loses.
Winners of the Mike Gesicki Signing
Mike Gesicki: TE- Cincinnati Bengals
Early in his career, there was a ton to be excited for with Mike Gesicki. In his sophomore year, he finished as the TE12. He followed that up with back-to-back top-ten finishes. After that, he started to bounce around teams. He finally landed with the Bengals in 2024 and had a resurgence. Gesicki finished the season as TE13 despite only having two touchdowns. He now re-signs with the Bengals and gets a chance to repeat his late-career excellence.
The Bengals’ offense switched last year under new offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher. Gesicki saw 83 targets last year, including seven games with five or more. On an offense with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, there is still plenty of room for Gesicki. He should be able to repeat his 2024 performance, if not better. He will be undervalued in drafts but provide weekly fantasy output. If his touchdowns can increase, he will be a league winner.
Joe Burrow: QB- Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow is one of the best quarterbacks in the league and fantasy. He finished as the QB3 last season and now brings back a big part of that. Mike Gesicki’s signing gives Burrow something he hasn’t had in a long time. A starting tight end for more than one season. Familiarity with Gesicki will be important going into 2025. If the Bengals want to make another Super Bowl run, Joe Burrow will need to be at his best. Consistency on offense and having a playmaker at tight end is a big part. I expect Joe Burrow to continue his trend of being a top 5 QB when he is healthy.
Evan Engram & Zach Ertz: TE
With Mike Gesicki signing with the Bengals, it opens up the market for veteran tight ends in free agency. The Bengals were not pegged as one of the top landing spots for some of the top guys. The Bengals had to pivot with Erick All missing all of 2025 due to an injury he suffered in 2024. With a deep rookie class, there were rumblings that the Bengals would draft a guy to contend with All for the future.
With them signing Gesicki instead, it leaves plenty of open room for Evan Engram and Zach Ertz to pick their spot. What’s even more of a boon for the two veteran tight ends is the deal that Gesicki got. While only $25.5 million total, it’s reported that $12 million is in the first year. That puts Gesicki as a top-10 paid tight end in 2025. Spotrac.com projected Ertz to get only $6 million a year, and while they don’t have numbers for Engram, he just got cut while making $13.5. Both were probably looking at contracts around $9 million. With Mike Gesicki signing for $12 million in year one, both Ertz and Engram’s values just went up. They should not only get solid contracts but be part of the plan for whatever offense brings them in.
Losers of the Mike Gesicki Signing
Tee Higgins: WR- Cincinnati Bengals
Tee Higgins isn’t a downgrade based on his fantasy production, but what the Mike Gesicki signing means for his future. Higgins has long wanted a long-term deal with the Bengals but instead has gotten the franchise tag for two years. The Bengals just paid Mike Gesicki a hearty amount. As we mentioned, top 10 money this year. That means less room to get a deal done with Higgins.
This could mean that the Bengals are more apt to trade Higgins but it seems more likely they are giving last years team one more chance before blowing it up. Signing Gesicki shows me that they want Higgins to be part of the team and are trying to show him that they can win with him on the team and that long-term it is what’s best for his success.
Erick All: TE- Cincinnati Bengals
I was a big fan of Erick All when the Bengals drafted him in 2024. He came to a team that needed someone to step up as a tight end after rotating guys the previous few years. Injuries have slowed down the ascension of Erick All. He will miss the whole 2025 season with the knee injury and now sees the man in front of him re-sign. While the deal for Gesicki is very front-loaded, it is still 3 years. While we don’t know the cap hits per year, it would seem that there is very little incentive to move off Gesicki. Erick All will have to outplay him on the field whenever he can get back on it. It won’t be an easy road for Erick All, and if you are rostering him in dynasty, the only advantage is that he can be put into your IR spot versus taking an active roster spot.
Chase Brown: RB- Cincinnati Bengals
There is an alternate universe where the Bengals don’t re-sign Mike Gesicki, trade Tee Higgins, and go with a run-first game plan featuring Chase Brown. All the things that could go wrong for Brown this off-season have. With Gesicki back in the fold, it looks like the Bengals are back to being pass-happy. They were second in pass play call percentage in 2024.
The best thing for Brown is that he is a good pass catcher. He had 54 receptions last year on 65 targets. He should retain that role in the offense, but the Gesicki singing means there could be fewer targets to go around. While it’s a redo of last year’s offense, the chemistry is growing between Burrow and Gesicki. The big-money signing shows their commitment to the passing game. Part of the big year for Brown was injuries to other running backs, and with a healthy team, I worry his production and fantasy value drops. The question for fantasy managers is how significant. I expect it to be larger than most will be comfortable with at his ADP.
