Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage has suffered a ruptured right patellar tendon and will miss the 2023 season, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

Russell Gage will have surgery sometime this week, according to Stroud.

It is a tough break for Gage, who was expected to be one of the key secondary targets for the Buccaneers this season, whether it be Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask starting at quarterback. The loss of Gage will make it harder for the Buccaneers to transition from the retirement of Tom Brady. It is unknown whether Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask could be long-term answers for the team.

Gage started his career with the division rival Atlanta Falcons. He played with the Falcons from 2018 through 2021, according to Pro Football Reference. His best seasons came in 2020 and 2021. He had 786 yards and four touchdowns in 2020, and then 770 yards and four touchdowns in 2021. Both of those seasons he was catching passes from Matt Ryan.

Last season with the Buccaneers, Gage recorded 426 receiving yards and five touchdowns, according to Pro Football Reference.

The Buccaneers still do have Mike Evans and Chris Goodwin as wide receivers for Mayfield and Trask to lean on, so the loss of Gage does not mean that the skill positions overall are bad.

It will be interesting to see how the Buccaneers fare this season. The NFC South is not viewed as a strong division, so it could be winnable for them. They will now have to do it without Gage on the field this season.