The New England Patriots had an injury scare regarding Mike Gesicki, but they received good news regarding expected missed time for the tight end. Gesicki suffered a mild dislocated shoulder injury during Monday's training camp practice, which will leave him out for a few weeks, per NFL Network.
New England hopes to have Gesicki back in time for Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles, but the AC joint will have to be treated properly to have him back by that three-to-four week timetable. The injury occurred when Gesicki was hit by linebacker Jahlani Tavai on a tackling drill.
Gesicki signed a $9 million deal with the Patriots this offseason. New England's plan was to pair him with Hunter Henry at tight end for a "12 personnel" set -- giving Mac Jones two options across the middle in the offense. The injury is significant for the Patriots, since Gesicki has only missed one game in his career and New England has Anthony Firkser as the top backup to Gesicki and Henry.
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Underutilized in the Miami Dolphins offense last season, Gesicki had just 32 catches for 362 yards and five touchdowns on the year. The Patriots hope to use Gesicki similar to how the Dolphins used him in 2021 (before Mike McDaniel took over the Miami offense). In that season, Gesicki lined up in the slot on 412 snaps -- the most among all tight ends -- and also lined up out wide on 218 snaps, and as a traditional tight end on 140 snaps.
Having Gesicki ready for Week 1 is the goal, as the Patriots will take all the measures necessary to make sure he's 100% by mid-September.
