When it comes to his new three-year, $25 million contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, tight end Mike Gesicki said he “owes a lot” to star quarterback Joe Burrow, who seamlessly integrated Gesicki into Cincinnati’s offense and publicly campaigned for the team to bring him back.

Given the support he’s received from Burrow, Gesicki is eager to return the favor.

“I’m going to work my tail off every single day for the Cincinnati Bengals, but for Joe Burrow, because, I mean, he did so much for my career last year,” Gesicki said, via the Dayton Daily News. “Just giving me the opportunity and believing in me and trusting me that, ‘Hey, Mike’s gonna win, I’m gonna throw the ball here,’ when you got Ja’Marr [Chase] or Tee [Higgins] who are attracting attention. But then off the field doing things like that, just mentioning my name and things like that.”

Joe Burrow was a major factor in Mike Gesicki’s decision to stay in Cincinnati

The Bengals added Gesicki on a one-year deal last offseason, and he quickly became a top target for Burrow. He caught 65 passes for 665 yards — both of which were third on the team behind Chase and Higgins. He also added two touchdowns.

In light of his impactful production, Gesicki potentially could have commanded more from other organizations on the open market, but he was willing to pay a “tax” (read: discount) to continue to play with who he considers to be the best quarterback in the NFL.

“I definitely knew that I was going to take the ‘Joe Burrow tax,’” Gesicki said, “So, I knew that, and I was like, I’m cool with it. … I wanted to go to Cincinnati, and I wanted to be in an offense that allowed me to reach my potential, and I think that this place gives me everything I’m looking for.”

Gesicki will now get to continue to catch passes from Burrow for the next three seasons, and they’ll need him to continue to be a major factor in the offensive attack, especially considering Higgins’ uncertain future in Cincinnati.

Some have criticized the size of Gesicki’s contract given Cincinnati’s other needs, but Burrow wanted him back, and his wish was granted. Hopefully Gesicki is able to live up to the deal with continued productive play.