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Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff Writer
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The ink was barely dry on the signature Mike Gesicki put on his contract with the New England Patriots and he was already in Mac Jones’ driveway, taking him up on the offer to crash for the night.
The theme of Gesicki’s 2023 has been, in his words, a “fresh start,” as he transitions to life as a Patriot after five seasons with the Miami Dolphins — and that day in March sums it up well. Jones had reached out to let Gesicki know teammates were gathering for a throwing session, and the tight end was welcomed to not only join but stay overnight in his spacious basement.
“I texted him ‘Send me your address,’ hopped in the car, put it in the GPS and just went,” Gesicki recalled of the four-hour drive from his New Jersey home. “Here’s someone I had never met before, and now I’m staying at his house. Granted, it was only one night, but I had never done that before.”
Gesicki said Jones was standing in the driveway to greet him upon arrival in Massachusetts. Their connection has continued to grow since — extending to their pets and significant others — which they hope to put on display when the 0-1 Patriots host Gesicki’s former team, the 1-0 Dolphins on Sunday (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC).
“He was a great houseguest — very respectful about my space, my dog, [girlfriend] Sophie [Scott], everybody. He’s a really cool guy, easy to talk to when we first met,” Jones said. “I felt like we hit it off.”
Gesicki, 27, appreciated the ease with which Jones, 25, made the offer.
“All on a random Wednesday night in March,” he said. “It wasn’t anything forced. He was easy to vibe with right away — we hung out there for a little bit, went out to dinner, just chilled, then through the next day just worked out. From Day 1, it was easy.”
Gesicki’s stay at Motel Mac highlights one of the special parts about football — how quickly bonds can form — and also one of its bottom-line realities.
Gesicki was entrenched in South Florida as the Dolphins’ 2018 second-round draft pick and its 2022 franchise-tag player after he totaled a career-high 73 receptions, which is tied for the most catches in a single season by a Miami tight end.
But a head-coaching change last season — Mike McDaniel replaced Brian Flores and installed a new offensive system that prioritizes blocking tight ends — was a catalyst for his eventual departure, as his playing time dipped from 72% in 2021 to 45% in 2022.
“Without diving too deep into the past and that kind of stuff, I had never thought I would originally need a fresh start. I felt like I was having success, and kind of a centerpiece in an organization,” he said.
“Now, at that point, I was playing for my third head coach, third different regime, and it’s almost like, ‘You can only outlast [everyone] so long where it doesn’t fit anymore.’ I tried to always be a good teammate, kind of handle myself with the utmost respect and not speak out, no matter how I felt or how I felt I was treated. That’s who I am and who I’m always going to be.
“So when last season ended, it was, ‘Let’s see where we’re off to.’ Whether it was back there or not, I had no idea. I didn’t close that door. Then that door was eventually closed and this became an option. I felt it was a great opportunity.”
Gesicki had an idea of the Patriots’ culture after playing from 2019 to 2021 under Flores, who was a coach with the Patriots from 2008 to 2018. He also felt he would fit into coordinator Bill O’Brien’s offense because the coach had recruited Gesicki to Penn State in 2012 and the Dolphins ran a similar system under Flores.
He also saw stability with coach Bill Belichick entering his 24th season, which appealed to him because he is now playing under his sixth offensive coordinator, fourth head coach and catching passes from his 10th different starting quarterback in six seasons.
“It’s been a lot of change, but I feel like in this building there hasn’t been a lot of change in a long time. It feels good to be around consistency,” he said.
The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Gesicki played 33 of 80 offensive snaps in the Patriots’ season-opening 25-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, totaling three receptions for 36 yards as a No. 2 option at tight end to Hunter Henry. Those numbers could fluctuate weekly in O’Brien’s “game-plan offense,” which can change dramatically based on how the Patriots view the weaknesses of each opponent.
“Mike’s a really smart guy, understands the passing game — techniques, routes, spacing, reading coverage on the inside part of the field,” Belichick said. “He’s got a good catch radius, good hands, competitive blocker. Knows what to do and how to do it.”
Added Henry: “Mike is a great player who has proven a lot in this league. He’s a big target. It will be fun to go out there and try to create mismatches.”
After one of Gesicki’s receptions Sunday, he leaped up and spun the ball in excitement, urging the home crowd to get loud. It’s a trademark of his playing style.
“He’s great juice,” Jones said.
Other than his visits as an opposing player, Gesicki had never visited Massachusetts before pulling into Jones’ driveway. Newport, Rhode Island, was the closest he’d been, but he’s enjoyed regular visits into Boston since signing with the Patriots.
He said he is bracing for an adjustment to cooler weather as the season progresses, but he has experienced it before, having grown up in Stafford, New Jersey, and played at Penn State.
Meanwhile, he joked that perhaps one mistake he made was renting an apartment instead of staying in his new quarterback’s basement.
“He has a great set-up — a living room, a kitchen, a bedroom. He has it all,” Gesicki said. “I’m pretty sure that’s where his family stays and things like that, for games, when they come out. I should have just paid him rent.”
The basement includes a full gym, which Gesicki has put to good use.
“I think he liked that. He likes to do arms — Mike’s in there pumping out arms,” Jones cracked. “Honestly, it’s great, and I want to see it used like that. That’s why I have a house like that.”
The time together represents something bigger than what they do on the field and extends beyond just them.
“Football, I always say, brings people together. It’s the easiest way to make a new friend. Those are the tightest bonds you can have because you’re out there grinding every day and hanging out off the field too,” Jones said.
“Mike is awesome, and his wife [Halle Gesicki] is really nice too. She has been [a long-time spouse] in the league, so she helps everybody else on the team too. You can tell — not only the players on the team are getting closer but the significant others are getting closer too.”
It turns out Gesicki is also a favorite of Jones’ dog, a tiny Maltipoo named Rose, whose barking seldom subsides for visitors unless it’s the new Patriots tight end.
Gesicki, who grew up with Labradors and jokes that Rose likes his energy, has appreciated the warm welcome and fresh start.
“Mac’s obviously just great energy, good vibe and all that kind of stuff. It was an easy connection on all fronts. Now my wife is friends with Sophie and it’s a cool thing,” he said.
“It’s something not a lot of people see, but it all kind of goes together. It’s something where I almost feel rejuvenated — like in a mindset way. I’m really happy to be here.”
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