Gesicki said he doesn’t know when he will be ready to play in a game, but Bengals coach Zac Taylor said it will be easier for him to “hit the ground running” than Anthony, who has been on injured reserve with a hamstring injury since Aug. 26 and hasn’t practiced since training camp.
Cincinnati could use every weapon available Sunday when it hosts the New England Patriots (9-2), and Gesicki would be a big addition. He was a full participant in practice Wednesday, along with quarterback Joe Burrow, who is edging closer to his return from a Week 2 turf toe injury.
“Went into this year with high hopes for Mike,” Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said. “We still have high hopes for Mike, we have a lot of football left to play. Excited about his ability to return. I know he’s been working really hard. We saw what Mike could do in this offense, specially in the latter part of last season. I know he is chomping at the bit to contribute. Real excited to get Mike back at practice.”
Gesicki was off to a bit of a slow start this season, while the offense struggled as a whole the first five weeks, and he ended up hurt early in the Week 6 loss at Green Bay when Joe Flacco was making his first start for the Bengals.
At the time, Gesicki thought his season was over. He hurt the pectoral muscle trying to make a block and immediately ran off to seek medical attention. After an MRI the next day, he was given the option to have season-ending surgery or let it heal on its own with the hope he could still come back this season.
Gesicki opted to let it heal and said he’s feeling good after five weeks out of action.
“I feel like it’s definitely progressed,” he said. “If you would’ve told me I would feel like this, the day it happened, I didn’t think at all that I would. I thought my season was over. I thought I was done. So just to go out there and practice and catch a couple of balls and be out there was fun in itself. And I’m grateful for our trainers and all these guys, I worked with Nick (Cosgray) a lot and Matt (Summers), and they helped me out a ton and just grateful for their time and there’s still work to be done and healing to be done and all that kind of stuff, but it’s been good.”
Ideally, Gesicki would be coming back to a team still in the thick of things in the AFC North, but after electing not to do the surgery, he’s even more motivated to get back on the field to make his decision worth something
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
The Bengals (3-7) are three games back of Pittsburgh in the division race and trying to pull themselves out of a three-game skid.
“(To come back) at any point this year, it would mean a lot,” Gesicki said. “… To not get surgery and to let it heal and all that kind of stuff, you don’t know what that outcome’s going to be. So, there’s definitely some thought that went into that, but to have the option to just come back and play football at some point this season, it’s what I love to do, man. It’s why I’m here and I’m grateful for any opportunity at some point in the back half of this season.”
Gesicki had never been on injured reserve before and had only missed one game in his first seven seasons in the NFL. That part of it was unique trying to navigate the rehab process and “awkward free time,” as he called it.
There was one silver lining to the timing of his injury. It came four days after his son, Cooper, was born, so he had a chance for some extra bonding with the baby.
“That was the only silver lining, but it was a big one for sure,” Gesicki said. “Been a really cool experience. It’s just time that I would’ve never, ever had. So obviously would love to be here and be here in those moments and play football and all that, fulfill my job, but given that I couldn’t, those moments were super special, and it’s something that I’ve had a lot of fun doing.”
Flacco didn’t get much time to see how Gesicki could help him in the Bengals offense before he was injured, but the veteran quarterback said he did get a sense of how Gesicki runs his routes and expected it to be a smooth transition getting him involved again.
On Wednesday, Flacco was limited as he continues to be managed following a Week 8 shoulder sprain, but Burrow was back in full, participating in his first 11-on-11 since surgery. Taylor has not ruled Burrow out for Sunday, but the timeline depends on how he reacts to the increased workloads.
Gesicki said Burrow looked sharp Wednesday. Pitcher has watched his progress the past week and doesn’t see a player who has missed the last nine weeks.
“It’s just like what I’ve seen from him throughout the entirety of my career with him for the most part,” Pitcher said. “I mean, impressive, but not surprising, knowing the character of the guy and how much it means to him and how hard he’s worked. This week is just the next step in that process, and we’ll see where it brings us.”
NEXT GAME
Who: New England at Cincinnati
When: 1 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 16
TV: CBS
Radio: 104.7-FM, 700-AM
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