4 Patriots who didn't live up to their contracts in 2023

Mike Gesicki

2023 salary: $4,500,000

At first glance, seeing a seasoned veteran tight end earning under $5 million for a season feels like a bargain. However, as we know, the Mike Gesicki experiment didn't go as planned, making his contract feel hefty given his production.

The longtime Dolphin was deemed a sneaky-good signing by Bill Belichick, and there were expectations for Gesicki to thrive in his new environment.

He was set to be utilized as a jumbo receiver, especially in the red zone, rather than as an extra blocker on the offensive line since that was his weak point. That would in turn allow Hunter Henry to be an extra body on the line and also be used used more with Gesicki as more of a decoy.

Unfortunately, things didn't go according to plan. Both tight ends had down years as a result, with Gesicki recording the worst statistical season of his career since his rookie year. He totaled just 29 receptions for 244 yards and two touchdowns, while averaging 8.4 yards per catch.

Pharaoh Brown became more of what Gesicki was supposed to be for the Patriots offense, which was a great surprise but also a disappointing development for the Penn State alum.

It would have been nice to see him pan out and become the perfect complement to Henry for 2023 and beyond, but the writing was on the wall fairly early into his tenure, and now he will continue his career with the Bengals next season.