Shoulder injury cuts short a career day for Gesicki. Now Dolphins await word on severity
One of the best games in the best season of Mike Gesicki’s career came to an abrupt — and scary — end in the fourth quarter of the Miami Dolphins’ comeback effort against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Less than three minutes after catching his second touchdown for the second multi-touchdown game of his career, Gesicki went down with a right shoulder injury after getting dragged down awkwardly on a tackle with 9:58 left in regulation. The tight end immediately grabbed at the shoulder as he writhed in pain on the Hard Rock Stadium turf, then walked into the tunnel with his right arm dangling limp and held firm against his body by a trainer. With Gesicki sidelined, the Chiefs hung on for a 33-27 win.
Gesicki’s injury was just the latest in an injury-riddled second half for the Dolphins, with the receivers corps hit especially hard. DeVante Parker did not play in the second half because of a leg injury and fellow wide receiver Jakeem Grant also sustained a leg injury, which limited him throughout the second half.
Miami also lost safety Bobby McCain for some of the third quarter because of an ankle injury.
Brian Flores did not have an update on the severity of Gesicki’s injury — or any other players’ — immediately after the game.
“We had a number of injuries today,” the coach said. “I checked in on a couple guys, but it’s too early right now. They’re still being evaluated. We’ll probably have more information later in the week.”
Gesicki’s injury was especially costly. The receiver was leading the Dolphins with five catches for 65 yards and two touchdowns before he exited. After Gesicki left, unproven wide receivers Mack Hollins and Lynn Bowden became Miami’s two leaders in targets.
On Sunday, Gesicki set a new career high for single-season receiving yards with 602. He also has 44 catches and six touchdowns this season.
Gesicki’s first touchdown gave Miami an early seven-point lead, as rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa rolled to his left on a designed rollout and threw an underneath pass to Gesicki with his top target double-teamed in the back corner of the end zone. Gesicki’s second touchdown in the fourth quarter was one of the most impressive plays of his career, as Tagovailoa threaded a pass into triple coverage and Gesicki pulled in the touchdown catch through a mess of limbs.
Most of Gesicki’s production this year has come with Ryan Fitzpatrick as the starter, but Tagovailoa said the two are building chemistry. After he caught just 10 passes for 133 yards in Tagovailoa’s first four starts, Gesicki had nine catches for 88 yards and a touchdown last Sunday in a win against the Cincinnati Bengals, then followed it up with his first two-touchdown game of the season.
“Me and Mike’s relationship has been growing in practice,” Tagovailoa said. “I had the opportunity to go in after the game and see Mike, talk to him. He’s really hurting, but I just told him my thoughts and prayers are with him, that the rest of the team is playing for him.
“You just hate to see that for someone like him.”
This story was originally published December 13, 2020 at 4:09 PM.
