Gesicki role increases; how he has dealt with change. And more Bridgewater, ataxia fallout

A six-pack of Miami Dolphins notes on a Tuesday:

▪ Mike Gesicki knew the question was coming, so much so that he asked it for the reporters gathered around his locker on Sunday.

“That’s been unfortunately the story line, people talking about me fitting in the offense — do I fit? Do I not fit?” he said.

For one week, at least, he certainly fit, catching six passes for 69 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday’s loss to Minnesota.

With Durham Smythe sidelined due a hamstring injury and Gesicki’s snap count ballooning to 50, he was targeted far more than he had been during the first five weeks.

“I tried to enjoy that one,” Gesicki said. “You have to maximize the opportunities when you get them.”

During the first five games, Gesicki had nine catches in 12 targets for 101 yards. He’s playing 52 percent of the Dolphins’ offensive snaps compared with 72 percent last season.

“It’s not about me,” Gesicki said. “It’s not about me when I have one catch for 1 yard and we win and it is not about me when I go whatever the heck I went [against Minnesota]. It’s about whatever we can do to help this team win football games.”

Smythe, Gesicki’s closest friend on the team, said that Gesicki — who is playing on a one-year, $10.8 million franchise tag and will be a free agent in March — “has handled himself really well. Obviously, a guy in his situation wants to produce statistically because of his situation in terms of years [left] on contract.

“But at the same time he’s a guy that wants to win. I think it says a lot about him the way he’s handled the situation really putting the team first in a year it means a lot to him personally.”

How are Gesicki’s spirits behind closed doors?

“They’re about as good as they can be,” Smythe said. “It’s hard for me to believe guys in the league in that situation would handle it as well as he is, and I think that’s a testament to him caring about winning games and putting that [first].”

Smythe said this system — in which tight ends must be effective blockers and more well-rounded — has helped his own game:

“Being able to be aggressive at the tight end position is exciting to all of us. It lets you play without hesitation. But I’m also excited about it because there’s so much room for growth.

“All of us are in our first year in this system. Even when we watch the film together as tight ends, there are glimmers of things we’re doing well but there’s another step we can all take, that I can take personally in grasping this scheme in the run game and some stuff in the play action. I’m excited there’s another level or two to climb.”

▪ I have seen some commentary on social media suggesting that the Dolphins should have used the money given Cedrick Wilson Jr. (three years, $23 million, $12 million guaranteed) or Gesicki to offensive linemen instead.

But that’s an unfair criticism, because offers to those players were extended before the Dolphins acquired Tyreek Hill.

In a world without Hill, Gesicki and Wilson would be the second- and third-most targeted players on the team behind Jaylen Waddle (along with potentially DeVante Parker, who was wisely traded with a fifth-round pick for a Patriots third-round pick in 2023).

But a strong case could be made to trade Wilson for a draft pick or offensive line or cornerback help because barring injuries, he’s not going to get the targets or playing time here that he would elsewhere. He has just four catches for 40 yards all season. The NFL trade deadline is Nov. 1.

Green Bay reportedly has interest in trading for a receiver.

▪ Nine days after the NFL removed Teddy Bridgewater from the Jets game and placed him in concussion protocol, the league finally addressed the issue publicly Tuesday.

Dr. Allan Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, said both the independent spotter and a doctor on site believed they saw Bridgewater stumble on one of the video views that they were provided, according to CBS.

Sills spoke to reporters at the NFL fall owners meetings in New York City.

Under the NFL’s ataxia rule implemented less than 24 hours before that game, that alleged stumble was enough for the league to place Bridgewater in concussion protocol even though doctors said he didn’t have a concussion.

But Dolphins players and coach Mike McDaniel said the team saw no evidence of Bridgewater stumbling, and there is no video evidence of Bridgewater stumbling from the time he was tackled to the point he entered the stadium tunnel.

Bridgewater, asked about the incident after Sunday’s Minnesota game, said: “Frustration definitely sets in when you’re told you can’t play again because you spent so much time preparing for that game...

“But obviously the league is just trying to protect us, and I respect it. Just being a guy who’s had multiple concussions and things like that. So I understand their viewpoint, but the competitive nature in me it’s like, man, I’m good, let me get out there. But I respect that they care about our safety.”

▪ The Dolphins haven’t intercepted a pass since the first defensive series of the first game, against New England.

That’s tied for fewest in the league, with the Packers, Chiefs, Saints and Giants.

“Me and Jevon [Holland] were literally talking about this yesterday,” safety Brandon Jones said Monday. “We’ve been doing a good job of attacking the ball. I just think that the opportunities, there’s only so many. We can’t think like, ‘Oh, we got a good pass breakup, but when the next one comes, we’ll get an interception.’ Any time the ball is in the air and we have that opportunity, we have to go for the ball and make it. And as a defense, we could for sure stress more of just getting the ball out” and forcing fumbles.

▪ With the Dolphins short-handed at cornerback, one option is playing more three-safety lineups; Holland, Jones and Eric Rowe played seven snaps together against Minnesota. The upshot that grouping?

Jones said those three players have a familiarity playing with each other, allowing them “to give tips and just help guys out and make sure everybody’s on the same page.”

Rowe was a former cornerback.

▪ The Dolphins signed former Jets and Gators running back La’Mical Perine to the practice squad, replacing ZaQuandre White, who was cut.

Perine, a fourth-round pick of the Jets in 2020, appeared in 14 games for the Jets the past two seasons and averaged 3.7 yards on 72 carries. He also caught 11 passes for 63 yards. He spent part of this season on Philadelphia’s practice squad.

The Dolphins have four tailbacks on their 53-man roster (Raheem Mostert, Chase Edmonds, Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed) and one on their practice squad (Perine).

Here’s my Tuesday piece on how Tua Tagovailoa has cultivated relationships with teammates on both sides of the ball, and why that’s important.