Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage remains in limbo due to injury as the second week of training camp approaches.
Gage missed offseason workouts due to injury, and he didn’t practice the first week of training camp. It might mean that Gage won’t sit securely as the team’s third receiver — especially after an injury-riddled 2022 season.
“Right now, he is. I’m not going to promote anybody in t-shirts and shorts – I’ve said this forever. As the competition goes, when he gets back, we’ll see if anybody passes him,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles told reporters on Friday, July 28.
After star receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, the Bucs have a dearth of young receivers. That includes sixth-round draft pick Trey Palmer and fellow rookies Taye Barber, Kade Warner, Ryan Miller, and Rakim Jarrett.
Bucs have a ton of young receivers competing for backup jobs: Trey Palmer, Rakim Jarrett, Kaylon Geiger, veteran David Moore and Taye Barber go through drills here:
Second-year receivers Kaylon Geiger and Deven Thompkins seek bigger roles after playing sparingly as rookies. Free agent acquisition David Moore also looks to carve out a role after once being a third receiver with the Seattle Seahawks.
Gage had solid moments when healthy amid 51 catches for 426 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games in 2022. His yards per reception average dipped significantly, however, from 11.7 yards with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021 to 8.4 yards with the Bucs last year.
He left Atlanta after four seasons and signed a free agent deal of three years, $30 million with the Bucs in March 2022. Gage reworked his contract this year to help the Bucs salary cap situation.
Regarding when Gage will return, Bowles leaves that to the trainers.
“When the trainers tell me he’s ready, he’s ready,” Bowles said.
Russell Gage’s Lengthy Injury History Continues
Bowles previously provided more detail about Gage’s injury during the week. That included optimism about the receiver’s return.
“It’s a lower extremity injury – it’s a leg injury,” Bowles said on Wednesday, July 26. “He’ll be fine. We’re counting on him. He’ll be back and he’s working to get back.”
Gage has a significant amount of leg injuries in his career. He suffered a knee patella sprain in 2018, a hip sprain in 2019, a groin strain in 2020, and a pedal ankle sprain in 2021 with the Falcons.
It didn’t get better in 2022 as he dealt with hamstring injuries throughout training camp and the season. He also suffered a concussion in the Wild Card game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Bucs Need Russell Gage at Full Strength
The Bucs certainly need Gage to be healthy with a new-look offense under offensive coordinator Dave Canales. Either Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask will take the reins as the starting quarterback in place of the retired Tom Brady.
Buccaneers.com’s Brianna Dix tabbed Gage as a potential breakout player for 2023. She noted that Brady recruited Gage in free agency last year.
“If Gage can stay healthy in 2023, his ceiling is limitless,” Dix wrote. “He is a lethal open field runner on jet sweeps and will add another dimension to Dave Canales’ playbook.”
“The coaching staff confirmed that Chris Godwin will split reps between the slot and lining up outside in 2023, which will allow Gage to work the middle with Godwin on the boundary,” Dix added. “With hip fluidity and quick feet, Gage has the ability to quickly break off routes in the short-to-intermediate area.”
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Buccaneers Give Key Update on Injured WR Russell Gage