It has only been one year, and while no one wants to jump the gun on Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage just yet, but his performance in 2022 did fall short of initial expectations.

The Bucs were still able to field one of the best wide receiver rooms in the NFL due to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin by themselves, but one has to wonder how much better this room could've been if Gage was on his game like he had been in the prior year.

The end results weren't completely disappointing, but it is fair to say that expectations are higher for the 2023 season than what we saw last year.

It's not like Gage was bad; the issue was just more with the fact that he was a bit more quiet than most people expected when he signed.

The Bucs spent money to pay a guy well and ensure that they could lock up a third option who could post an easy 700-800 yards a season behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

Gage was able to reach 426 yards and five touchdowns, which isn't bad, but it still fell short of what is possible as the third guy in a Tom Brady-led offense.

However, it is worth noting that Gage did struggle with some rather significant injuries last season that did play a role in missed reps and starts.

The good news for both parties is that Gage is on track to be healthy in 2023 and shouldn't have too much competition in the form of depth receivers chomping at his heels. This will give Tampa and Gage as much time as possible to ensure this pairing is a fit for one final season in 2024.

Still, injuries or not, the Buccaneers are still going to need more out of Russell Gage in their upcoming season if they hope to maintain any of their offensive potency from the past few years.

Tampa invested far too much money in Gage to have him disappear in games or miss too many pivotal reps. The flashes of greatness were there last season, but the consistency will have to follow this year if Gage wants to finish his current deal out with the Bucs.

Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield provides troubling update on WR Russell Gage

Mayfield’s Tuesday comments aren’t what you want to hear about the Buccaneers’ receiver.

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports