Mike Gesicki – May 26, 2021
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Wednesday, May 26, 2021
TE Mike Gesicki
(I wanted to ask you about QB Tua Tagovailoa and specifically this: some of your offensive teammates keep saying that he’s more comfortable. They see a comfort level with him whether he’s in the huddle or giving cadences. What do you see? I know it’s early, but what do you see?) – “I think Austin (Jackson) said it best when he said he’s got the beard going now. He’s got a little more hair on top. (laughter) I see some confidence, but also that’s just natural. He’s got more experience. He’s coming into Year 2. He’s been around the guys now. He’s not just building relationships; now he’s boys with everybody. It’s more of just coming in here and rather than learning everything new from scratch. Now he’s just picking up where he left off.”
(If I could follow up real quick, what is it about him that you have learned and seen? Things don’t seem to rattle him.) – “I think if you look at his past career, dating all the way back to college, I think he’s been put in big positions and made plays. He’s dealt with adversity whether it’s injury or whatever it may be. He’s fought back from that and he’s also dealt with people saying stupid, uneducated stuff about him that they’re not right about. So he’s dealing with that and he’s continuing to work and continuing to come in here each and every day, and I’m happy that he’s our quarterback.”
(I want to hear more about the stupid, uneducated stuff that was said about him. What in particular?) – “Of course you do. (laughter) Of course you do.”
(What bothered you most about the criticism?) – “The problem with the criticism is it’s not – there’s nothing behind it. The kid came in here and people were already calling for him. He played nine games and he did a lot of really good things for us, stepped up in some big situations, made plays and I think got better each and every week. And now everybody’s been talking about his confidence and how he looks this year obviously in a couple walkthroughs and all that kind of stuff, but he still looks good. He’s been working hard and investing a lot of time into the season. I’m excited for his future.”
(I want to hear more about this, too. I wanted to ask you what did you think about the trade rumors and just the offseason?) – “Are you trying to get some clicks right now? (laughter) Trying to get me to say something stupid, get some clicks right now or what? (laughter)”
(No you’re saying some great stuff right now. It’s not stupid. I’ll pay your fine for you if you want though?) – “You’ll pay my fine if I dunk it in the goalpost, too? (laughter)”
(It might take me a little while to pay it. [laughter] But how do you think QB Tua Tagovailoa has kind of dealt with all this?) – “I think he’s dealt great with it. I think it goes back to like I said. He’s been through adversity before. He’s played in the biggest games dating back to his college career and I think he’s just going to continue to focus on what’s important and the opinions that are important because at the end of the day, that’s really all that matters is the people inside this building and the guys upstairs and the guys in the locker room. I can tell you that firsthand, the guys in the locker room, we all believe in him, we all respect him and we’re all excited about him.”
(As you’re well-aware, a lot of guys are going from that first year to second season this year and I wanted to kind of get your perspective. When you made the jump from your rookie season to your second year, what is kind of the moment where it kind of clicks for you or kind of comes together where it’s just a big improvement? What can you say about that jump from Year 1 to Year 2 from your perspective?) – “I think it’s just learning more. You kind of understand the game more. You see things happen and I think it’s just kind of making that one play. So I think that’s the difference between me and (Tagovailoa) because he’s already made the play. My rookie year, I don’t think I did a damn thing. (laughter) I think that play didn’t come until my second year and once you make one, you kind of build that confidence and keep building off it, then you keep rolling. So I think that him, he already kind of built a foundation and he’s just continuing to build on it right now and I think he’s doing a phenomenal job so I’m excited about him.”
(If I could just follow up and a question about yourself, what was your offseason like this year? What are you doing to get ready for Year 4 compared to your previous offseasons?) – “I’m sticking with it. I had to just continue to kind of rehab up on the shoulder postseason and kind of fix up on that. I’m feeling good, feeling healthy and now I’m out here back at OTAs and just getting ready, finetuning some things, getting in-sync with all the guys. I think that everybody right now is kind of happy to be back in the building and just working and just back in the locker room.”
(Obviously you guys drafted a tight end and signed a tight end. Are you guys running a five-tight end set? What’s the deal out there?) – “Well, yes. We’re actually – all the tight ends are pitching in. We’re going to give some of our salary to the OCs and they’re going to get us all on the field at the same time, so it’s going to be truly special. Durham (Smythe) might get a snap in at running back, so it’s going to be good. You probably don’t want to see him carry the ball from the backfield, but for pure enjoyment, it would be good. (laughter)”
(What are the players hearing from the union about attending minicamp?) – “Well, minicamp is mandatory. I personally don’t have the funds to hand back to the organization, so I will 100 percent be here. They also give out free food in the facility, so I’ll be coming for breakfast, lunch, dinner. (laughter) It’s really a special place. We’ve got waters and Gatorade in the fridge, snacks in the weight room. It’s a nice place to be. Happy to be here.”
(Most of your teammates are the same mind? What do you think the level of participation is going to be?) – “Yeah, I think a lot of the guys like the food here. It tastes good. (laughter) We’re all happy to be here and the guys that aren’t, I don’t know. Maybe they get some good food out there wherever they’re at, but we’re all real happy to come in and get some work.”
(My favorite time with players is when they’re entering their fourth year and they realize that the NFL is a business and they’re trying to get the new contract. What’s that process been like for you? I’m sure your agent is trying to handle that, but what’s it like knowing you’re going into the final year of your rookie deal?) – “It’s crazy honestly. It goes fast. I know that sounds cliché and you guys want to hear me say something more interesting than that, but it goes fast. It’s crazy I’m already going into Year 4. But I’m just continuing to learn, trying to maybe expand my role. Right now, I’m just coming in here each and every day just hammering down the playbook, trying to learn this stuff and be able to be as versatile as possible for my position, so that’s really what I’m looking for.”
(Given that you are in a contract year and that the Dolphins drafted a tight end, some guys in your position might take that personally. How do you take it?) – “I haven’t talked to Hunter (Long) since he’s been here. Like I’ve got no interest in it. (laughter) No, I’m happy with it. I like Hunter. We’ve been just getting to know him. He’s a good kid. He just graduated on Monday, so congratulations to him. Go Eagles. We’re happy to have him here. Good player, good kid, smart kid and I think he can just add another element to our offense. If you know anything about the tight end brotherhood, we’re all happy for each other. We’re all excited for one another, so when we drafted him, I just thought more opportunity for the tight end room. I’m excited for him and his career.”
