Mike Gesicki – October 26, 2020
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Monday, October 26, 2020
TE Mike Gesicki
(I’m sure there is a lot of excitement about the new quarterback, but you’ve been very open about how much QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has meant to you. Have do you balance those two things, the excitement about QB Tua Tagavailoa and recognizing everything that Ryan has done for you?) – “Yeah, absolutely. I think you hit it right there on the head. First and foremost, I’m super excited for Tua. I think he’s done a great job dating all the way back to college, doing his rehab, getting healthy, and being put into a position to be where he is right now, where he’s the starting quarterback for our football team. He’s practiced hard. He’s had a great work ethic. He’s done all the right things preparing for this moment. I’m super excited for him and can’t wait to get out there and get to work with him at full speed practice and all of that kind of stuff. Then obviously like you said with ‘Fitz’, he’s one of my best friends on the team and I’ve been very open about how I feel about him as a teammate, and a guy and a leader for us and all of that kind of stuff. I think the biggest thing with ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) is he loves football. He loves being out there. I think he gave it everything he had from the second he was here from last year, with everybody out there saying that we weren’t supposed to win a game, and we go out there and give the Dolphins fans something to be excited about coming into this year – winning five games of our last nine last year and all of that kind of stuff. Then this year, you see him 10 yards down the field blocking on running plays, and having fun and enjoying himself and doing his little celebration every time he throws a big touchdown. Even in training camp, 30 minutes after he finds out his mother passed away, the first thing he is thinking about is obviously his family and all of that kind of stuff, and then he straps on his helmet and shoulder pads and laces up his cleats and goes out to practice. Just all of things makes him the person he is and the leader he is and all of that kind of stuff. I’ll forever be indebted to ‘Fitz’ and all of that kind of stuff because he believed in me when not too many people did. Just a thank you to him, and all of that kind of stuff. Now, I’m really excited for this next chapter with Tua getting out there. I know everybody is excited, both in this locker room and outside this locker room, our fans, everybody. It’s a new week. We came off a fresh bye week and we’re ready to get rolling.”
(This is your third season, and I think this is probably the best position this team has been in to make a playoff run in a minute, maybe the entire time you’ve been here. Oftentimes when teams are in that position, they don’t make a quarterback change, particularly if the quarterback is playing well. How do you process this season versus building for the future, and QB Tua Tagavailoa needs reps to be ready for 2021 and beyond. Do you feel like the playoffs are still something you can achieve with a rookie quarterback?) – “I think – if you guys know anything about ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) and the way that he coaches us and prepares us each and every week, we’re sitting here in mid to late October and if you think anybody in here is thinking about the playoffs or a playoff push, or anything other than coming back in here after a bye week and focusing on our opponent this week – preparation and getting some timing down and all of that kind of stuff – that’s really what our main focus is. I think for our fans, I’m sure they are excited and all of that kind of stuff, and I think they should be. I think that it is an exciting time; but as a professional and as a team that we’re starting to come together, we all trust in ‘Coach Flo’ and the guys upstairs making decisions. Honestly, I’m just excited to get back to work after a good bye week.”
(First round draft picks at quarterback come in and sometimes they hit it off with their teammates and sometimes they don’t. QB Tua Tagavailoa clearly has, and I’m wondering what you can say about how he’s gone about that? Is it just his personality or some of the things he’s done? And how would the dynamics of this would be different with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick going to the bench if he was not as popular as he was?) – “Tua has done a phenomenal job with just being a guy in the locker room. Everybody has fun when they are around him. He’s a funny guy. He’s a good time to be around. Then when he’s out on the field, he has that – where he can flip a switch and make it serious, but also still have fun with it. I think that’s something that I look forward to getting out there on the field with him and seeing him in the huddle and making a big play because you know it’s eventually coming, and how he reacts to that. I think it’s exciting to be a part of that chapter, that next phase. I think he’s done a phenomenal job of kind of earning everybody’s respect in the locker room; then obviously, everybody’s respect outside of the locker room, upstairs giving him this opportunity. He’s earned it and I’m excited for him.”
(Just listening to you talk about QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and what he’s done for the franchise, and obviously you guys want to win. It makes me wonder if QB Tua Tagovailoa doesn’t come out there and play as well as ‘Fitz,’ what is that going to mean for the locker room and how you guys handle that?) – “Our locker room is tight, and like I said, we all believe in one another and believe in Coach Flores and (General Manager) Chris Grier and (Managing General Partner/Chairman of the Board) Mr. (Stephen) Ross, and everybody that’s upstairs making decisions. I think that we all have confidence in Tua to go out and make plays. It’s not going to be like one series here or one series there and everybody is throwing in the towel. That’s not how it is. We’re all excited, and honestly, I think there is a lot of trust and a lot of belief in the players that are being put in position on the field on Sundays. Like I said, I’m excited for Tua and his opportunity, and I think that he’s going to do everything in his power to be prepared and be put in a position to be successful.”
(Every quarterback has his strengths and weaknesses, so I’m wondering, how do you see the offense changing with QB Tua Tagavailoa as opposed to QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, and how does it affect you and your role as a tight end?) – “I’m not really sure, honestly. I don’t know how the game plan is or is not going to change. What I will say is that Tua has, I think he has every throw in the book. I think he’s got the intelligence to make all of the reads and he’s got the legs to be able to escape pressure and make plays with his feet. I don’t really know if you’re going to take any plays out or if he’s going to do something that ‘Fitz’ wasn’t doing. I don’t think that’s what it comes down to. I think it just comes down to our coaching staff and what they’ve done this season to put guys in position to be successful. I think that’s going to be a common trend here moving forward.”
(Obviously you’ve had such a great chemistry with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick throughout the last two seasons and you may not have had as much time practicing catching from QB Tua Tagavailoa. How do you guys go about creating chemistry on the field at practice this week?) – “It’s not like he just got named the starter and now I’m about to catch my first ball from him. This has been dating all the way back to when we first got out there in late July, just working on some timing and seeing how he’s going to place the ball, this, that and the other thing. And also, the thing that a lot of us do is I’ve been taking scout team reps all year. Whenever he’s in there, I’ve been in there running routes on the scout team and being the opposing team’s tight end for a couple of plays here and there and all of that kind of stuff. I’ve run full speed routes with him and it’s something – we made the change and I don’t really think there is going to be a beat off here or there. I think it’s just going out there and making the most of your opportunities, just like I’ve been saying this whole entire year.”
