Mike Gesicki, previously a tight end for the New England Patriots, has agreed to a contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. According to Schefter’s tweet, Gesicki has inked a one-year contract with the Bengals worth a maximum of $3.25 million.
In Cincinnati, Gesicki will work with quarterback Joe Burrow and line up alongside standout wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase to receive passes.
Further details on the NFL offseason for 2024’s free agency
The NFL’s 2024 calendar year kicks off at 4 p.m. ET on March 13, which is when contracts expiring in 2023 officially end, granting those players free agent status. Before the free agency period begins, teams will have the opportunity to assign a franchise or transition tag to one player, starting on Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. ET and concluding on March 5. From March 11 to March 13, teams can engage in legal negotiations with players who are about to become unrestricted free agents.
Apart from NFL free agency, the new year also signifies that all trades will be formally approved by the league office. April 19 serves as the deadline for teams to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets. On April 24, teams must decide whether to match offer sheets for restricted free agents. Following the restricted free agent deadline is the 2024 NFL Draft, scheduled to take place from April 25 to April 27.
Further details on restricted and exclusive rights free agents
Players with only three years of accredited experience in the NFL qualify as restricted free agents. Their original team has the ability to place various tender offers — including first-round, second-round, original-round, and right-of-first-refusal tenders — on these players, each with increasing price tags. The tender amount rises with the higher rounds, meaning a first-round tender is more expensive than a second-round one. If a different team extends a contract offer that the original team chooses not to match, the new team must convey a draft pick corresponding to the tender round to the original team. The right of first refusal provides the original team with the choice of matching the offer or declining it.
Should the original team opt not to match the offer, they receive no compensation in return. An original-round tender entails the transfer of a draft pick from the new team back to the original team based on the round in which the player was initially drafted if the original team decides not to match the offer. Upon a player signing an offer sheet from a new team, the original team has a five-day window to decide whether to match the offer.
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