Skip to main content

Dolphins Place Franchise Tag on Gesicki

The Dolphins tight end set career highs in catches and receiving yards in 2021

On the final day for NFL teams to use the franchise or transition tag on a pending unrestricted free agent, the Miami Dolphins have decided to use that option on tight end Mike Gesicki.

The Dolphins placed the franchise tag on Gesicki, according to a league source, ensuring they will maintain his rights when the new league year kicks off March 16.

According to figures released Monday, the franchise tag for tight ends is $10.9 million and will give the Dolphins to right to match any offer another team would want to make to Gesicki or receive two first-round picks in compensation (spoiler alert, that's not happening).

Despite lining up in the slot or out wide on 85 percent of his snaps last season, according to PFF Fantasy Football, Gesicki was tagged as a tight end and not a wide receiver, which would have meant $18.4 million.

For those wondering about the possibility of Gesicki filing an appeal arguing that he should be tagged as a wide receiver because of his usage, Jimmy Graham made the same claim in an appeal in 2014 but ultimately was ruled a tight end for tag purposes.

Putting the franchise tag on Gesicki does not preclude the Dolphins from signing him to a long-term contract this year is that's the route they choose, nor does it prevent them from trading him.

In fact, that's exactly what the Dolphins did the last time they use the franchise tag, which happened in 2018 when they tagged wide receiver Jarvis Landry before trading him to the Cleveland Browns for a pair of draft picks.

The Dolphins also could ultimately decide to rescind the franchise tag, which they did with defensive end Olivier Vernon in 2016 after giving him the transition tag.

A second-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft, Gesicki is coming off his most productive season in terms of catches (73) and receiving yards (780), though his touchdown total fell from a career-high six in 2020 to only two.

New Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel talked about how Gesicki could fit in his run-oriented offense during his press conference at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis last week.

"I think there's multiple ways to use players that have skill sets that can help you do things offensively," McDaniel said. "We've had tight ends in our history that have been featured pass receivers and we've had featured blockers. On both ends of the system, they are expected and will do both things, majoring or minoring in one or the other, depending on their skill sets. I have no problem, no hesitation or no concern of Mike being able to contribute as a blocker and will use him the way it's most appropriate for him, as well we'll do in the pass game, really."

Gesicki got married over the weekend and, perhaps as a telltale sign, was shown in a social media photo wearing a Miami hat on a plane (perhaps headed to his honeymoon).

The Dolphins chose to tag Gesicki over their other prominent pending UFA, defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah. The franchise tag number for defensive ends was set at $17.86 million.

Ogbah's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said Sunday he expected his client not to get the tag and to explore his options on the free agent market.