Patriots tight end Mike Gesicki suffered a mild dislocated shoulder in practice Monday. The Patriots expect him to ready for the regular season. Michael Dwyer/Associated Press
Patriots tight end Mike Gesicki suffered a “mild dislocated shoulder” during Monday’s padded practice, according to the NFL Network.
The Patriots are reportedly hopeful Gesicki can return for Week 1.
The veteran tight end, who signed a one-year deal in free agency, left practice after crashing hard during a tackling drill. Gesicki hunched forward and favored his right side, while medical personnel supported his elbow as they walked off the field together. His injury timeline indicates he will not be available for upcoming joint practices and preseason games at Green Bay and later Tennessee.
Gesicki had been regularly repping with the starters in training camp practices. Last season, he caught 32 passes for 362 yards and five touchdowns in a down year with the Dolphins. Gesicki, who entered the league as a second-round pick in 2018, spent the first five seasons of his career in Miami.
Without him, the Patriots’ tight ends room is down to Hunter Henry, Matt Sokol, Anthony Firkser, Scotty Washington and Johnny Lumpkin.
The Patriots are scheduled to open their regular season against the Eagles at home on Sept. 10.
THE PATRIOTS have signed veteran linebacker Raekwon McMillan to a one-year extension worth up to $2.245 million, according to ESPN.
McMillan will miss the upcoming season on injured reserve with a knee injury, but should now remain with the team through 2024. McMillan has now had his contract extended twice in the last three years while he rehabs. He started 16 games for the Patriots last season, posting 35 tackles and one sack.
McMillan, 27, signed with the Patriots as a free agent in 2021, then missed his debut season because of a torn ACL he suffered that summer.
AS KENDRICK BOURNE soared in the back of the end zone, he reached out with one hand to snatch Mac Jones’ throw out of the air. As the receiver landed, with both feet in bounds, the Patriots offensive players on the field exploded.
The display of emotion was noteworthy. Players were loud and then Jones ran into the end zone to join the celebration, jumping up to deliver a flying chest bump with Bourne.
What a difference a year makes.
Last fall, as the Patriots offense struggled, the overall stat lines for several offensive players dipped. That included Bourne, who had a tough training camp last summer and started the regular season as a backup. Coming off a career-year (800 yards receiving) in 2021, Bourne played less and finished with 434 receiving yards last season.
This offseason, however, the 28-year-old rededicated himself to the gym. Bourne came back to Foxborough stronger, faster and healthier than he did a year ago. His improved physical fitness led to more confidence and that’s led to Bourne having a fantastic training camp this summer.
“I feel good, man. I feel the best I’ve ever felt. Best shape of my life. I’m able to do more and feel better. That’s the key for me,” Bourne said. “I just had to take care of my body better. Just rehabbing, doing the things I had to do off the field so I can perform better on the field.”
On Monday, Bourne had his best practice of the summer. The receiver finished with a team-high six receptions in competitive team drills. That included a team-high five receptions from Jones.
Although Bourne started slow this summer, once the pads came on, the receiver upped his game. At the beginning of camp, it appeared that Bourne was behind the likes of JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker and Tyquan Thornton. Since then, Bourne has taken more reps than Thornton when Jones is in at quarterback.
Through 14 days of training camp, Smith-Schuster leads all Patriots receivers with 23 catches from Jones while Parker (16) and Bourne (12) are next. Bourne’s ascension up the Patriots offense isn’t a surprise. Back in 2021, he looked like one of the Patriots most dynamic players on offense.
Following a disappointing season, Bourne hit the gym hard. He posted photos on his Instagram account at Grand Time Fit which is a training facility in Oregon. You can see him doing Olympic-type lifts. When he arrived for training camp, Bourne had gained 15 pounds of muscle, upping his weight from 190 to 205 pounds.
Bourne, who turned 28 this month, admitted that his body started to break down more as he got older. His goal this offseason was to focus on his strength and rehab. That meant gaining muscle, but also doing preventative work to help his body recover.
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