Buccaneers lose receiver Russell Gage to season-ending injury; Kenny Golladay, Jarvis Landry possible outside replacements

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are expected to take a big step back this year after losing quarterback Tom Brady to retirement, and head coach Todd Bowles still hasn't announced Brady's replacement under center. Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask are competing in training camp for the job. Whomever wins reportedly has lost starting wideout Russell Gage to a season-ending knee injury during a joint practice with the Jets today.

Gage was carted off the practice field in Florham Park, N.J., with the injury and was in tears as he was leaving the field with teammates taking a knee around him. Gage's injury was noncontact, sustained while he was backpedaling during 7-on-7 drills, but multiple sites already are reporting that it's season-ending. 

"We hear it's gonna be pretty serious, and I'll wait to hear the final results," Bowles would only say. "I can tell by the way that he was sitting on the truck that it was probably something that happened pretty bad. Our hearts go out to him, and we'll see how it goes."

Is Gage a star? No, and this will not affect any Bucs futures, but he's a solid No. 3 on the team behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Last year in 13 games, Gage caught 51 passes for 426 yards and five scores. He also battled hamstring injuries in last year's training camp, during the 2022 regular season and the 2023 offseason.

Because of his very low 8.4 yard-per-catch average last year (some of that certainly is on Brady) and all the injury issues, the Bucs told Gage he was going to be waived this offseason if he didn't take a pay cut from the approximate $10 million owed. He agreed to cut it to $7 million, which is guaranteed, so Gage at least is good there. He will all but surely be placed on injured reserve.

Perhaps the two most notable wideouts still available in free agency are Julio Jones and Kenny Golladay. Jones may or may not be retired at age 34, and he was basically a non-factor for the Bucs last year. He doesn't seem a fit now that Brady is gone.

In March 2021, the Giants signed former Golladay, a former Pro Bowler with the Lions, to a four-year, $72 million deal, which turned out to be one of the worst signings in recent history by any team. He was cut this past March. In two years in New York, Golladay appeared in 26 games, started 18, and caught only 43 passes (on 93 targets) for 602 yards and just one touchdown, which came in the 2022 season finale.

Jarvis Landry is another possibility, as he's a bit similar to Gage in style and size, but Landry has been breaking down physically for a few years and had only 25 catches for 272 yards and a TD in nine games last year with New Orleans. That said, Landry did play with Mayfield in Cleveland for a while. 

Writers covering the team are reporting the Bucs hope to stay in-house to replace Gage barring more injuries, as the club has a veteran wideout on the roster in David Moore (who has played one regular-season game the past two seasons) and some young receivers in second-year players Deven Thompkins and Kaylon Geiger and rookies Trey Palmer (he might be the early leader), Rakim Jarrett, Ryan Miller, Kade Warner, Taye Barber and Cephus Johnson.

Not only is Tampa Bay breaking in a new quarterback – most think it will be Mayfield in Week 1, but we should find out after this weekend's preseason game – but also a new offensive coordinator in Dave Canales and the offensive line has been overhauled, including All-Pro right tackle Tristan Wirfs moving to the left side due the loss of long-time starting LT Donovan Smith. He's now with Kansas City.

The Bucs are currently -6.5 for the regular-season opener in Minnesota.

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