Mike Gesicki was Bengals’ best free agent signing last year, according to Pro Football Focus

The tight end proved to be a reliable target for Joe Burrow.

The Cincinnati Bengals have a clear advantage with Joe Burrow. And tight ends around the NFL know it.

CJ Uzomah had a career year in 2021 and then received a big contract from the New York Jets.

Then it was Hayden Hurst’s turn in 2022, following which he got $13 million guaranteed from the Carolina Panthers.

And then Irv Smith attempted to get the Burrow to bump as well but sadly was unsuccessful.

So when Mike Gesicki signed with the Bengals last offseason, there was a lot of hope that he would have a career renaissance. But not many would predict that he would be as consistent as he was.

He caught 83 of 65 targets for 665 yards and two touchdowns. More importantly, he started to heat up at the end of the season, being targeted 22 times and catching 18 passes in the last two games against the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers.

For those reasons and more, Pro Football Focus has named Gesicki the Bengals’ best free agent signing from 2024, writing that, “His 71.1 receiving grade was his best mark since 2020, and he dropped just two passes all season.”

Gesicki is an unrestricted free agent this year, and it seems to be an easy decision to bring him back if the price is right.

Meanwhile, perhaps not surprisingly, Geno Stone was named the Bengals’ worst free agent signing of 2024, earning, as Dalton Wasserman noted, a career-worst 53.7 coverage grade.

Perhaps we should have seen this coming. As John Sheeran of A to Z Sports pointed out shortly after his signing, Stone was in a great system and surrounded by outstanding playmakers in 2023 with the Baltimore Ravens, things he wasn’t guaranteed in Cincinnati.

Of course, Stone, like Gesicki, seemed to be more comfortable later in the season, with four passes defended and three interceptions in his last five games.

Hopefully, the Bengals are able to add a few more pieces to the offensive line and defense this offseason to help the team get back to the NFL Playoffs and make a deep run.