Mike Gesicki has had an eventful offseason between the Miami Dolphins placing the franchise tag on him and his now-wife, Halle, making him her franchise player.
Now a married man after his wedding on March 4, the Dolphins also tied the knot with Gesicki for at least one more season by putting the tight end on that franchise tag four days later.
Getting tagged is not ideal for NFL players that seek long-term contracts with ample guaranteed money over multiple seasons in the prime of their career, but it does bring Gesicki a hefty payday this season of at least $10.9 million, the value of the tag at the tight end position.
“You’re obviously getting an increase in financial purposes and all that kind of stuff,” Gesicki said on Wednesday, as the Dolphins are in the midst of their second week of the offseason workout program.
“It’s obviously not the goal, the end-all, be-all goal. It’s definitely more team-friendly than it is player-friendly. But just giving me more reasons to come back here, continue to work hard and continue to be motivated and get back to work and help this team win football games and hopefully eventually get what I deserve moving forward.”
With an understanding he was likely to be designated with the franchise tag, Gesicki’s focus in the time from the conclusion of Miami’s season to free agency was more so on the wedding and honeymoon than any negotiations.
“I wasn’t even worried about the contract,” said Gesicki. “I was in Bora Bora on my honeymoon, and it’s like a six-hour difference in time. It was 3 a.m., my agent texted me. He’s like, ‘Hey, they’re tagging you.’ … I was like, ‘Okay.’ I also had like 100 other texts because I slept through it. … Rolled over, checked my phone and knew it happened, woke up Halle, she was all excited and went back to sleep.”
Questions remain on if Gesicki will appeal the tight end designation, given that he lined up as a wide receiver either in the slot or on the boundary more than he has as an in-line tight end. The franchise tag value for a receiver is $18.4 million, a difference of $7.5 million from the tight end tag. When an appeal of that kind is filed, the two sides often meet in the middle in arbitration, meaning Gesicki could then get somewhere around $14 million.
Gesicki wouldn’t delve deep into the situation on Wednesday, but he did offer that any development — or lack thereof — wouldn’t keep him off the field.
“I mean, I’m definitely playing. I’m here in OTAs. This is obviously optional, so here I am,” Gesicki said. “I want to do whatever I can to help this team win football games. … I’m not really a big controversy guy. I’m not trying to be the guy that’s the bad locker room guy, or the guy that’s bringing the organization down or the guy that’s in the headlines for the wrong reasons.”
Gesicki also enters a situation under a new offensive coaching staff where run-blocking, a noted weakness in his game through his first four seasons, may be emphasized in the outside-zone scheme.
“It’s definitely a different scheme as to what we’ve played in, but at the end of the day, football’s football,” Gesicki said. “These coaches are elite in what they do, and I think that they’re going to put people in position to be successful.”
Gesicki, although noting he and 49ers All-Pro tight end George Kittle are different players, is encouraged by what new coach Mike McDaniel and tight ends coach Jon Embree were able to do with Kittle in San Francisco.
And Gesicki enjoyed his first impression of McDaniel after three seasons under Flores and having Adam Gase at the helm in his rookie season.
“Funny dude. I’ve had a meeting with him last week and it went well. Just talking about everything,” Gesicki said. “I’m excited to play for him and work for him and do everything I can to earn his trust.”
Gesicki is also inspired by the prospects of the offense with a revamped offensive line, running game and playmakers on the outside, headlined by the acquisition of speedy wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
Nonetheless, the offseason move that excited him the most was the re-signing of good friend and fellow tight end Durham Smythe, a moment which he — jokingly — ranked right up there with his wedding.
()