The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are keeping wide receiver Russell Gage on a reworked contract, creating more much-needed salary cap space
The #Bucs and WR Russell Gage reworked his contract to create space for the team, taking his 2023 base base from $10M to $7M — now fully guaranteed — with a chance to hit reasonable incentives and earn it back, sources said.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and wide receiver Russell Gage have agreed to an updated contract, bringing his base salary from $10 million to $7 million, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The deal fully guarantees Gage’s now-diminished 2023 base salary and allows him to earn the rest back through incentives. The move all but ensures Gage will be on the Bucs’ roster in 2023.
Before the move, Gage was a potential cut candidate as Tampa already dedicated over $50 million to their wide receiver room between Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Instead, he saves the Bucs $3 million ahead of the start of the league year when they have to get their roster spending below the salary cap.
With Gage’s reworked contract, the Bucs are about $2.6 million over the cap per Over the Cap. Tampa began the offseason $56 million over the salary cap, more than any other team in the NFL, but after a flurry of moves, including the release of long-time left tackle Donovan Smith, the Bucs are nearly cap compliant.
With Brady retiring, will the Bucs be in rebuild mode?
For the second time, Tom Brady has announced his retirement from the NFL and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Many are wondering if this is the beginning of a rebuild for Tampa and if so the Cleveland Browns could be buyers. They are in the need of both veteran players and more talent with eight draft picks in this year’s draft.
Though the team isn’t likely to trade for any massive contracts they could still make some moves if they feel the price is right. A look at three players that I believe the Browns could try and target if the Buccaneers become sellers this offseason.
An encouraging update from Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage after Monday night’s injury
I appreciate all of the texts, calls, thoughts and prayers you all have expressed towards my family and I. I just wanted to let you all know that I’m doing great and in great spirits!
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage shared a positive update on social media Tuesday after suffering a scary injury during Monday night’s wild-card loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Gage went down late in the fourth quarter, and had to be placed on a back board before leaving the field on a cart. He was taken to the hospital to be evaluated for a concussion and a potential neck injury.
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles told the media Tuesday that Gage indeed suffered a concussion, but that he did not sustain any additional injury to his neck. Bowles said he expected Gage to be released from the hospital later on Tuesday.
Tampa Bay WR Russell Gage was hospitalized after being injured late in the Bucs’ loss
Another frightening moment in a Monday Night Football game.
This one took place in the fourth quarter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 31-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Wide receiver Russell Gage appeared to slip while trying to get to a short Tom Brady throw near the Cowboys’ 5-yard line.
Dallas safety Donovan Wilson’s right forearm then hit the right side of Gage’s helmet, bending his neck awkwardly.
Gage tried to get up a couple of times but could not.
Players from both teams surrounded the fifth-year player as medical personnel worked on him.
He was taken to a hospital.
“He has a concussion,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said after the game. “They’ll also test him for potential neck injuries.”
Bowles was asked if Gage had movement in his extremities and said, “His fingers were moving when he was down there, I don’t know about the rest.”
The incident happened two weeks after the Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field after making a tackle in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
“It was really tough — especially with what happened a couple of weeks ago,” Bucs inside linebacker Lavonte David said. “… We definitely hope he’s well. He was moving and stuff like that, that was a good sign. Definitely hope he’s OK.”
Tight end Cam Brate, who suffered a sprained neck in Week 6 and left the field on a stretcher added: “You hate to see a guy go down like that, especially with the game being kind of out of reach at that point. It’s really hard to see your teammate like that.”
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage suffered a scary injury late in Monday night’s wild-card playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys, and we finally have an update on his situation.
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles told the media after the game that Gage had been taken to a local hospital to be evaluated for a concussion, as well as a potential neck injury.
Bowles noted that Gage was moving his fingers while he was laying on the ground after the play.
Gage spent several minutes down on the field being tended to by the training staff, before being placed on a back board and carted off.
Tuesday morning, the Bucs provided the following update on Gage:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage had to be carted off the field late in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s wild-card game against the Dallas Cowboys after suffering a scary injury.
It’s still unclear what kind of injury Gage suffered, but he had to be placed on a back board before being carted off the field, spending a long period of time on the ground with members of the training staff.
We’ll have more updates on his status as soon as they’re available.
After four years of going home early in Atlanta, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage is relishing his first postseason trip
After four years of going home early with the Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver is thrilled to be making the first postseason appearance of his NFL career.
“Just excitement,” Gage told the media Thursday about his emotions heading into the playoffs. “I remember telling my receiver coach this was my first time in the postseason. By this time, I think I told you guys, I was shipping cars home and everything, so it’s just exciting. There’s a lot of things that are going on – a potential Super Bowl, all of those things are in effect now, so I’m excited.”
Gage had some of his best games in Atlanta against the Bucs, but after struggling through injuries earlier in the season, he’s become a key member of Tampa Bay’s passing attack, finishing the year second on the team with five touchdown receptions.
(AP Photo/John Bazemore)
His new teammates, the ones who already have some playoff experience, have been doing their best to prep him for the big stage.
“Right, honestly, they’ve been telling me all year,” Gage said. “‘Wait until we get into the playoffs, wait until we get into the playoffs. It’s so much more exciting, [there’s] so much more energy’ – and everything they’ve been telling me all year. So, to finally be here, I feel like the little brother to all of them. Like, they’re trying to tell me about everything, getting me more excited. I don’t want to oversell it or anything, but I’m excited.”
Gage knows he’ll have to manage his emotions with all of the pressure and newness of playoff football.
“For sure, and I kind of tell that to myself, too,” Gage said. “You know, go out there and take it play by play. Don’t try to be the hero or do the most on certain downs or anything like that. And I guess I can see where that could be a thing. Being on year five, going into the playoffs I think will work out well in my favor, personally. But I can defiantly see that being a thing.”
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
He’ll be facing a familiar face Monday night in Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who was the head coach of the Falcons for three of Gage’s four seasons in Atlanta.
“I think I talked about it earlier, but these guys – ‘D.Q.’ (Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn) does a great job with these guys,” Gage said of the Cowboys secondary. “I know him pretty well – he’s a one-high [safety], Cover-3 type of guy, a little bit more matched down the seam in the past, in my experience. But he does a great job keeping those guys ready to go.”
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have reclaimed the lead Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, and they didn’t even need Tom Brady this time.
After veteran backup Blaine Gabbert replaced Brady at quarterback late in the second quarter, he finished off his first drive with a three-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Russell Gage.
Gage made a leaping, juggling catch for the score, beating the Falcons’ best cornerback, A.J. Terrell.
It’s got to be sweet for Gage, who signed with the Bucs in free agency after spending the first four years of his NFL career in Atlanta.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are having their strongest start on both sides of the ball that we’ve seen all season, against one of the hottest teams in the NFL.
After an interception on the first drive of the game that set up a field goal, the Bucs responded with a third-down sack of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, and then a long touchdown drive.
Tom Brady hit Russell Gage in the back corner of the end zone on 4th-and-goal to give the Bucs a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter.
Mike Evans already has four receptions for 71 yards, and Brady has 112 yards through the air, including the score.
It took almost three full quarters for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to finally get on the board Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, and it took a lucky bounce to make it happen.
Tom Brady’s pass to Chris Godwin over the middle was broken up, but it bounced into the waiting arms of Russell Gage, who rolled into the end zone for the score.
It’s 35-7 in favor of the 49ers, but at least the Bucs won’t head home with a goose egg on the scoreboard.
