According to Patrick K. Flowers of Bleacher Nation on Wednesday, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage of Baton Rouge, Louisiana will miss the entire 2023 National Football League regular season with a knee injury. Gage suffered the non-contact injury during a joint practice between the Buccaneers and New York Jets.
Gage was about to start his second NFL regular season with the Buccaneers. In last year’s offseason, he signed a three-year deal worth $30 million with Tampa Bay, after beginning his career with the Atlanta Falcons where he spent four seasons. In 13 games with the Buccaneers, Gage had 51 catches for 426 receiving yards and a career-high five receiving touchdowns.
In 74 games with the Falcons and Buccaneers, Gage has 244 catches for 2491 receiving yards, and 14 touchdowns. He was the Falcons’s sixth round draft pick, 194th overall, in the 2018 NFL Draft.
There is no doubt this is going to be a year of transition for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as they no longer have legendary quarterback Tom Brady of San Mateo, California at the helm. Brady retired on February 1.
The Buccaneers top two wide receivers are clearly Mike Evans of Galveston, Texas and Chris Godwin of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Evans had 77 catches for 1124 receiving yards and six touchdown catches in 2022, while Godwin had 104 catches for 1023 receiving yards and three touchdown catches in 2022. Replacing Brady as the Buccaneers quarterback is Baker Mayfield of Austin, Texas.
The NFC South seems to be up for grabs. On paper, there is no one clear dominant organization. Don’t be surprised if the division winner makes the postseason at around the .500 mark.
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