Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1519242
M A Y 2 0 2 4 5 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M A fter five seasons in Miami and one in New England, former Penn State tight end Mike Gesicki is on the move. On March 12, Gesicki signed a one-year, $3.25 million contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Nittany Lions' all-time leader in receptions by a tight end with 129, Ge- sicki is coming off a disappointing sea- son with the Patriots in which he caught just 29 passes for 244 yards. Both totals were his lowest since he was a rookie with the Dolphins in 2018. Now, though, he'll be teaming up with Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Burrow, and he's excited about his potential to be a difference-maker for the Bengals after playing in a New England offense that ranked 28th in the league with an aver- age of 180.5 passing yards per game last season. "I'm really looking forward to it," Ge- sicki said. "There aren't many players, if any, who can do what [Burrow] does with a football. It's going to be a great opportunity not only for me but for ev- erybody in that locker room." Gesicki's best year was in 2021 when he caught 73 passes for 780 yards in his fourth season with the Dolphins. He'd been a second-round pick in the 2018 draft and was garnering attention around the league with his penchant for acrobatic catches — just as he had done in his last two seasons with the Nittany Lions. But when Mike McDaniel replaced Brian Flores as head coach in 2022, Ge- sicki's productivity plunged. He was targeted only 52 times — down from 112 the year before — and finished with only 32 catches for 362 yards in McDaniel's first season as head coach. Gesicki had played on a franchise tag during the 2022 season. When the Dol- phins declined to use it again the fol- lowing year, he headed to New England. Now he's moving on again, this time to a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. The Bengals reached the AFC championship game two of the past three years and were in the Super Bowl two seasons ago. In his six years in the league, Gesicki has played in only one playoff game, a 34-31 loss to Buffalo in 2022. He caught a 7-yard touchdown pass in that game to help Miami rally after spotting the Bills a 17-0 lead in the first half, but the Dol- phins weren't able to engineer a second comeback after the hosts pulled back ahead in the fourth quarter. The loss turned out to be Gesicki's last game with the Dolphins. While his path since then has had some twists and turns, he's grateful that it has led him to a franchise with an opportunity to go deep into the postseason, and he's ea- ger to work with a pass-catching corps that also includes elite receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. "It's something that I've never been a part of before," Gesicki said. "It's very exciting. That's what you get when you've got one of those guys under cen- ter. Obviously, Joe's résumé speaks for itself, and the talent on the outside with Ja'Marr and Tee — there are a lot of guys who are capable of making plays, guys who've made a lot of plays in this league on that offense. It's early, but for me personally, my excitement level is really high." PENN STATE FREE AGENCY TRACKER As of April 12 Two more Nittany Lions found new teams in late March, and another was still pondering his options as of early April. Defensive tackle Austin Johnson signed with Buffalo on March 28 after two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. One of Johnson's former teammates, DaQuan Jones, lobbied for the acquisition. Jones had just signed a two-year, $16 million deal to stay with the Bills, on whose defensive line he has played since 2022. The veteran one-technique tackle pointed out on social media that Johnson was available and interested, and the Bills responded by inking him to a one-year pact. Jones and Johnson overlapped at Penn State from 2012-13, and they later spent four seasons together with the Tennessee Titans. "They have a similar skill set," Bills general man- ager Brandon Beane told reporters at the league's winter meetings in March. "They're both going to play one-technique. DaQuan, in our system, improved his pass rush, and we think Austin can follow that same trajectory." Also on the move is safety Nick Scott. The sixth- year pro was released by Cincinnati on March 13 after playing in all 17 games and starting 10 for the Bengals last season. He signed a one-year deal with Carolina on March 22 and will be reunited with defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, with whom he previously worked during his four-year tenure with the Los Angeles Rams. One prominent player who remained unsigned was veteran offensive tackle Donovan Smith. A starter on two of the past four Super Bowl win- ners (Tampa Bay, 2021; Kansas City, 2024), Smith has protected Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. Picked by Tampa Bay in the second round of the 2015 draft, he hopes to be playing his 10th NFL season this fall. ■ Mike Gesicki Envisions Productive Role In Bengals' Offense MATT HERB | M AT T. H E R B @ O N 3 . C O M PSU IN THE PROS Gesicki's best NFL season was in 2021 when he caught 73 passes for 780 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Miami Dolphins. PHOTO COURTESY MIAMI DOLPHINS