Young WR Believed He Was Being Pranked When Tom Brady Recruited Him to Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It is not every day that NFL franchise Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is on the phone and recruiting you to his team. However, this is what exactly happened with the newest acquisition for wide receiver Russell Gage, who thought it was a prank call. The young wideout was in shock to get the call from Brady, and the pitch by the legendary quarterback did lead to Gage joining them.

The new Buccaneers acquisition did reveal that he was exploring options with his agent. He didn’t expect to get a call from the 7-time Super Bowl champion. While talking about the contents of the call, Gage states, “For a minute, I thought it was a prank…He just told me about what they have here in Tampa Bay and that he wanted me to be a part of it, that they have something really special going on…He definitely had me hooked on it after that.”

While the Buccaneers have two elite WRs in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, bringing in a quality third option like Gage was a no-brainer.

The former Falcons pass-catcher Russell Gage signed a three-year deal with the franchise worth $30 million. While he was a role player in Atlanta, Gage stepped up his game last season becoming QB Matt Ryan’s No.1 target.

Will the Tom Brady choice once again pay off for the Buccaneers

The recruitment of Gage shows that the Buccaneers are looking at maximizing their time with the returning QB Tom Brady. The new Buccaneers wideout does show an elite mindset. While speaking about his new role with the team, he believes he will be ready at the moment of need. Last season was a challenging one for the WR corps following injuries to their key receivers.

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Gage did step up against the Buccaneers last season and might have been the audition opportunity for his new team. It seems Brady was keeping a close eye, and reaching out to Gage is the perfect recognition for the wideout.

He also adds that the call from one of the NFL’s greatest QBs was a huge blessing. He also considers the whole situation with Brady quite surreal.

While only time will tell how good Gage does in Tampa, he will have competition with Godwin and Evans being the top two WRs. He will be looking to prove his worth and gunning for any opportunity to take the field as a Buccaneer.

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