Open Nav
Show Navigation
Show Menu
FANTASY FOOTBALL NEWS

Joe Burrow Wants Mike Gesicki Back

By Matt Schauf | Updated on Mon, Feb 17 2025 2:55 PM UTC
Mike Gesicki Headshot

Bengals QB Joe Burrow has spoken up since the end of the season about hoping certain teammates get paid this offseason. TE Mike Gesicki, who's set to hit unrestricted free agency in March, has ranked among the teammates Burrow wants to keep around.

What They're Saying

Burrow on Jan. 4: "That guy was so valuable for us all year, and a guy that, in my opinion, we need to bring back."

OC Dan Pitcher, in December: "There's just a major trust that's been established with Joe that Mike is going to win in one-on-one situations. That sounds simple, but, man, it takes time to really trust a guy to do that, and then he's going to make difficult catches."

2025 Fantasy Football Impact

The Bengals are bound to want to please their franchise QB and surround him with trusted, worthwhile receiving options. Whether Cincinnati actually re-signs Gesicki, though, will also depend on cost.

The team previously watched TE C.J. Uzomah turn his best season in Cincinnati (49-493-5 receiving line in 2021) into a multi-year contract with the Jets that he didn't live up to.

Then TE Hayden Hurst turned his one-year Bengals pact (2022) into a too-big contract with Carolina, which dumped him after the first year.

Gesicki's 65-665-2 line for 2024 beat both guys in receptions and yards. But he also heads into his age-30 season in 2025.

We'll see what the market has in store.

Best Ball Impact

If you're drafting best ball teams right now, don't treat Gesicki as a sure thing to remain in Cincinnati.

Even if he does re-sign with the Bengals, Gesicki's overall 2024 production masked large differences between games with and without WR Tee Higgins.

Gesicki averaged 5.2 receptions and 62.4 yards and scored both his TDs in the five games Higgins missed. He averaged 3.25 receptions and 29.4 yards across the other 12 contests -- and even those numbers got a boost from two big outings to finish the year.

Higgins is also headed to free agency, but many expect Cincinnati to keep him around -- perhaps even using the franchise tag.

In short, you can mix Gesicki into your late TE picks. Just don't overrate the potential here.

Matt Schauf Author Image
Matt Schauf, Editor
Matt has earned two Fantasy Pros accuracy awards for IDP rankings and won thousands of dollars as a player across best ball, dynasty, and high-stakes fantasy formats. He has been creating fantasy football content for more than 20 years, with work featured by Sporting News, Rotoworld, Athlon, Sirius XM, and others. He's been with Draft Sharks since 2011.
Premium Content Premium ContentTennessee Titans Fantasy Forecast: Can Cam Ward Spark This Offense?

Tennessee Titans Fantasy Forecast: Can Cam Ward Spark This Offense?

1:33pm UTC 5/29/25

Cam Ward should be an immediate upgrade for the Titans — and could make this an undervalued offense in 2025 fantasy drafts.

Read More »
Video: 32 Facts That Shape Your Fantasy Football Rankings

Video: 32 Facts That Shape Your Fantasy Football Rankings

3:47pm UTC 5/28/25

What do you need to know about the Cardinals' offense? Are the Packers in the midst of a dramatic shift? And what's worrisome about Baker Mayfield? Find out all that and much more on this episode of our fantasy football podcast.

Read More »
2025 Dynasty Rookie Rankings: Top RBs, Breakout WRs & Hidden Gems

2025 Dynasty Rookie Rankings: Top RBs, Breakout WRs & Hidden Gems

2:39pm UTC 5/28/25

The 2025 rookie class is loaded with RB talent, sprinkled with high-upside WRs and TEs. Whether you're gunning for Ashton Jeanty or hunting for sleepers, we've got you covered with full rankings.

Read More »
Compare Plans » Compare Plans »