TAMPA, Fla. — Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage has movement in all of his extremities after suffering a neck injury and concussion in Tampa Bay’s wild-card playoff game against Dallas, the team announced Tuesday.
The Buccaneers said in a statement that Gage remained hospitalized overnight and would undergo more testing a day after being taken off the field by stretcher in a sobering scene that came just two weeks after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed and needed to be resuscitated during a prime-time game.
“I appreciate all of the texts, calls, thoughts and prayers you all have expressed towards my family and I,” Gage wrote on Twitter. “I just wanted to let you all know that I’m doing great and in great spirits! Thank you!”
Gage was injured in the fourth quarter Monday night when he stumbled on a route, went to the ground, couldn’t make the catch and took a hard shot to the neck from Donovan Wilson. He appeared to try to get up but couldn’t and slammed his hand into the ground in frustration.
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Players from both teams took a knee and prayed while medical personnel attended to Gage. Tom Brady, who threw the pass to Gage, stood near the medical staff before the game resumed.
“Definitely hope he’s doing well. He was moving so that’s a good sign,” teammate Lavonte David said after the game.
Staley remains with Chargers; Lombardi fired
COSTA MESA, Calif. — Brandon Staley will be back for a third season as the Los Angeles Chargers head coach.
The same can not be said for some of his offensive staff.
The team on Tuesday announced that offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and quarterbacks coach Shane Day have been fired after two years.
Staley has a 19-16 record, including playoffs, in his two seasons. He led the Chargers to their first playoff appearance since 2018 with a 10-7 regular-season mark.
The Chargers fell to the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-30 in Saturday’s AFC wild-card round game after blowing the third-largest lead in postseason history.
Los Angeles was up 27-0 late in the second quarter before the Jaguars rallied.
Bills’ Boyd interviews for Titans’ GM job
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans interviewed Buffalo senior director of pro scouting Malik Boyd on Tuesday for their general manager opening, making him the seventh candidate interviewed since the process started.
The Titans confirmed they completed the interview Tuesday morning.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane hired Boyd in 2017, and Boyd has been part of a front office that transformed Buffalo from perennial losers to a team in the playoffs for the fifth time in six years. The Bills (14-3) won the AFC East this season and will be hosting Cincinnati on Sunday in the divisional round.
Boyd worked for the Arizona Cardinals between 2005 and 2017 as assistant director of pro scouting. He worked with Indianapolis as a scouting assistant between 2003 and 2005.
Tickets for possible AFC title game in Atlanta to go on sale
ATLANTA — The NFL has directed the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills to begin selling tickets for a possible AFC championship game in Atlanta on Jan. 29.
The game would be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium if both teams win at home in the divisional round this weekend. If either loses, the game would be hosted at the higher-seeded team.
The top-seeded Chiefs are hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars, while the No. 2 seed Bills are facing the reigning AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals.
The NFL mandated a possible neutral site for the conference title in response to a Jan. 2 game between the Bengals and Bills being canceled after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field.
AP source: Schwartz hired as Browns’ DC
CLEVELAND — Jim Schwartz has never been afraid of big challenges. He’s tackling a new one in Cleveland.
Schwartz, who took a winless Detroit team to the playoff in three seasons, has been hired as the Browns’ defensive coordinator, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Schwartz spent the past two seasons as a defensive adviser for Tennessee. The 56-year-old was one of four candidates to meet with the Browns, who went 7-10 this season and had defensive issues from the opener. He previously worked with Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry in Philadelphia.
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