Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage was taken off the field on a stretcher late in Monday night’s wild-card playoff game at Raymond James Stadium.
While running an in-breaking route late in the fourth quarter, Gage slipped, fell to his knees and absorbed a hit to the back of the head from Dallas Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson. The wideout remained down on the field for several minutes, trying multiple times to get to his feet without success.
Eventually, Gage was strapped to a backboard and loaded onto a cart while players from both teams knelt around him.
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles told reporters after the game that Gage had been transported to a local hospital to be evaluated for a concussion and a possible neck injury. Bowles said Gage had movement in his fingers when he was down on the field.
The 26-year-old Gage signed with Tampa Bay last offseason after spending his first four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. The LSU product played in 13 games during the regular season, catching 51 passes for 426 yards and five touchdowns. He tallied two receptions on eight targets for 10 yards Monday night before his injury.
The Cowboys went on to defeat the Buccaneers 31-14 to advance to the divisional round. They’ll visit the San Francisco 49ers next Sunday.
