Russell Gage Confirms Tom Brady Recruited Him to Bucs, Says He Thought It Was Prank

New Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage said he thought somebody was messing with him when he received a call from Bucs quarterback Tom Brady on Monday night.

"Definitely caught me off guard—for a minute I thought it was a prank," Gage told reporters Friday. "But he told me what they have here in Tampa Bay and that he wanted me to be a part of it."

The former Atlanta Falcons playmaker proceeded to sign a three-year, $30 million contract without Brady having to do serious recruitment.

"He didn't have to say much," Gage said.

Brady briefly retired from the NFL in early February but reversed course Sunday when he announced his intention to play a 23rd season.

His return to the active roster provided some much-needed clarity for the Bucs, and his impact is already being felt by attracting Gage to join his star-studded group of targets.

The 26-year-old LSU product was a limited contributor across his first two years with the Falcons before working his way into a bigger role over the past two seasons. He's recorded 138 catches for 1,556 yards and eight touchdowns in 30 games since the start of 2020.

Now he'll join a deep group of weapons at Brady's disposal, including Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Breshad Perriman, Tyler Johnson and Cameron Brate. It wouldn't be a surprise if Rob Gronkowski, the quarterback's longtime favorite target, eventually rejoins the group, too.

All told, the Bucs are right back in the thick of the Super Bowl conversation following Brady's return, especially thanks to the relative weakness of the NFC compared to the AFC.

Adding Gage certainly provided a boost to that championship quest.