Joe Flacco's Week 6 Cincinnati Bengals debut just got even tougher. The Bengals were already dealt the unenviable task of facing the Green Bay Packers' aggressive defense, and will have to finish the game without tight end Mike Gesicki, who left with an injury.
Gesicki suffered a pectoral injury early in the first half and has already been ruled out, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported. He did not receive a target before exiting the game.
The veteran tight end went into the medical tent early in the game, before the team escorted him to the locker room. He was able to walk to the locker room under his own power, according to a video from James Rapien of Bengals Talk.
Mike Gesicki spent some time in the blue medical tent and is going to the locker room with what appears to be a left pectoral injury. pic.twitter.com/5xv9Uxunec
— James Rapien (@JamesRapien) October 12, 2025
Gesicki entered the game with eight catches for 61 yards through the first five games. He started every game entering Week 6 but struggled to produce, along with the rest of the offense, with Jake Browning under center.
Following his exit, Gesicki was replaced by Tanner Hudson, who hauled in two first-half catches. Hudson entered Week 6 without a catch in 2025.
Flacco was traded from to the Bengals from the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday, giving him four days to learn Zac Taylor's offense before his first start. The trade was a rare deal between the two in-state AFC North rivals.
Now, Flacco has the additional challenge of playing with yet another unfamiliar teammate. The 40-year-old has only had a few days to work with the Bengals' starters, much less any potential backups.
Flacco and the entire Bengals offense struggled in the first half, as expected. Cincinnati headed to the break with just 65 yards of total offense, including only 40 passing yards.
