Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel addresses Mike Gesicki trade rumors, says TE hasn’t listened to ‘random noise’

Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki has been working hard this offseason learning a new offensive system, and even received extended playing time this preseason. Recently, his name was reportedly brought up in trade talks with other teams. Head coach Mike McDaniel addressed those reports about Gesicki, who’s playing on the franchise tag for 2022 after both sides failed to reach a long-term extension this summer. 

“These reports are tricky to me because I’m like — again, I’ve alluded to this before, at the beginning of the offseason. During training camp and during the offseason in general, GMs have work to do. And they’re not just watching us coach,” McDaniel said to the media Thursday. “When people report that somebody is — when they use the that loose verbiage of ‘his name has been brought up,’ or whatever, the report is kind of misleading because there probably should be a lot of names on that report.

“All I’m focused on is regardless of what people try to drum up, I’m focused on coaching Mike and Mike’s focused on getting better.”

Gesicki will make $10.931 million in 2022 as a tight end, even though he plays the position in an unorthodox matter. He lined up in the slot on 412 snaps last season — the most amongst all tight ends — and also lined out wide on 218 snaps and as an actual tight end on 140 snaps. 

Gesicki finished fifth in the league in receptions (73), eighth in receiving yards (780), and fourth in yards per catch (10.68) amongst all tight ends. One of the best pass catchers at his position, moving on from Gesicki won’t be an easy task — no matter how the Dolphins plan to use him.  

“People have made stuff about this, that of the other,” McDaniel said. “Whether you are a receiver or a tight end or we even have running backs do it — you have to be able to do stuff with the ball and you have to be able to block for other people that are doing stuff with the ball. And we continue to work those techniques with everyone. 

“He’s had a great week of practice this week, which tells you a lot about that individual because there has been random noise that he’s hasn’t listened to clearly. He’s putting his best foot forward and that’s all I’m concerned about. It’s my job to coach the players on the team, and I like coaching Mike, and beyond that, like it’s kind of a no-ends process about talking about, did someone talk about somebody else with? That stuff happens more often than it doesn’t.

Gesicki has had issues as a blocker in the preseason, an integral part of McDaniel’s offense. With the Dolphins situation at tight end, moving on from Gesicki won’t be an easy decision.