Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki earned himself some extra cash with his production against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18.
Mike Gesicki earns some extra cash by surpassing 600 receiving yards on the season
Heading into the game, Gesicki needed just three receiving yards to surpass 600 for the season and trigger a $125,000 incentive in his contract. He got those three yards almost immediately with a catch on the first drive of the first quarter of the contest.
Bengals TE Mike Gesicki needs three receiving yards tonight against the Steelers to get to 600 this season and trigger a $125,000 incentive. Gesicki also needs two touchdown catches vs. the Steelers to collect another $125,000. pic.twitter.com/I4otOtJU8r
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 5, 2025
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Gesicki has proven to be an excellent addition for the Bengals this season, especially at his current price point. He signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with Cincinnati over the offseason, and his production has certainly surpassed his contract value.
Heading into Week 18, Gesicki had 57 catches for 597 yards. Both of those numbers rank third on the team behind star receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. He's also added two touchdown receptions. He's fit in seamlessly in Cincinnati's offense and provided quarterback Joe Burrow with yet another dangerous pass-catching weapon.
According to Bengals tight end coach James Casey, Gesicki's unique physique has played a big part in his success in Cincinnati.
"You don't see a lot of guys with this body type playing tight end in the NFL," Casey recently said of Gesicki. "He's unique because of the way he's built. He's long. His stride is so long. He has such a long reach … Rangy … He's just hard to cover. He's hard to stay with for any safety or linebacker. He doesn't run traditional textbook NFL routes."
Gesicki has been so solid, in fact, that the Bengals should absolutely try to bring him back during the upcoming offseason. However, doing so might be easier said than done, as Gesicki has likely boosted his own value with his productive play this season. He might have priced himself out of Cincinnati's range in the process, though Bengals fans should hope that isn't the case.