Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor has had to make ends meet not only without quarterback Joe Burrow but also tight end Mike Gesicki. Just like Burrow, the tight end has been out for weeks, and he has yet to return to action. At 3-6, Cincinnati has a steep hill to climb to get to the postseason, and Coach Taylor would like to have his best pieces in action sooner rather than later.
That said, let’s dive into Gesicki’s injury status to find out what went wrong.
Will Bengals TE Mike Gesicki Play Again This Season?
Gesicki’s injury timeline suggests that he could return within the next couple of weeks. In their Week 6 loss to the Green Bay Packers, Gesicki left the game after playing just two offensive snaps and never returned. He reportedly suffered a pectoral injury and was expected to play again soon.
However, the injury was more serious than the medical staff initially thought, as Coach Taylor said the following Monday that the tight end would be out for “a while.”
Two days later, Gesicki was placed on the IR with the expectation of missing at least four games. The veteran tight end couldn’t get going in his time on the field at the start of the season. After a strong 2024 campaign, he struggled to match those numbers this year, having failed to record more than 20 receiving yards in a game in five outings.
Burrow’s injury likely didn’t help his production either, as the quarterback has been sidelined since Week 2.
In Gesicki’s absence, Noah Fant, Tanner Hudson, and Drew Sample have picked up most of the slack.
Fant has made the most of the opportunities offered to him, having established himself as a reliable option for his quarterback, whether Burrow, Jake Browning, or Joe Flacco. He has two 40-plus-yard receiving games along with three touchdowns midway through the season and is likely to continue featuring as Cincinnati’s main man in Gesicki’s absence.
Hudson is the only other tight end who has put up decent numbers in a limited capacity, with a 40-yard game and a touchdown.
As Burrow and Gesicki are anticipated to return within weeks, Taylor and company will try to keep the boat afloat in an uncompetitive AFC North. Despite their 3-6 record and a two-game losing streak, they are two wins away from being second in the division.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, currently ranked 15th on PFSN’s Offensive Impact metrics, lead the way at 5-4, and the Baltimore Ravens are hanging on to second with a 4-5 record.