Who Should I Start? Mike Gesicki or Isaiah Likely

Saturday, March 8, 12:32 PM

The Cincinnati Bengals re-signed tight end Mike Gesicki to a three-year deal worth $25.5 million on Saturday, a source tells NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. Gesicki will make $12 million in the first year of the deal and will return to Cincy as their top pass-catching tight end. The 29-year-old broke out in his first year with the Bengals in 2024 with 65 receptions for 665 yards in 17 games, although he only found the end zone twice. The Bengals also have Tanner Hudson that they just re-signed this week, too, but Gesicki should once again function as the team's primary pass-catching TE after he was the third leading receiver last year behind receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Gesicki should at least be in consideration as a low-end TE1 in fantasy in 2025, and he'd see an even bigger boost if the Bengals end up trading Higgins this offseason.

Friday, May 30, 12:49 PM

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has high hopes for rising tight end Isaiah Likely as he enters the final year of his rookie deal in 2025. "I want to see [Likely] be an All-Pro," Harbaugh said . "That'd be my goal for him, and he's capable of it." The former fourth-rounder in 2022 has been the backup to Mark Andrews for much of his career, but that could be changing in 2025. Likely caught nine passes for 111 yards and a touchdown in the season opener a year ago, but he didn't have another 100-yard game the rest of the year. He ended the season with 42 catches, 477 yards and six touchdowns. In 49 total games with Baltimore, including 19 starts, Likely has 108 catches for 1,261 yards and 14 TDs. In 10 games that Andrews has missed due to injuries the last three years, he had 530 yards and seven TDs. If Andrews misses any more time in 2025, Likely will be a must-start TE1 on a weekly basis.