TAMPA, Fla. — Just two weeks after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed and needed to be resuscitated on the field, another sobering moment occurred in front of a prime-time audience Monday night when Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage was taken off by stretcher late in the fourth quarter of a wild-card playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Gage was injured when he stumbled on a route, went to the ground, couldn’t make the catch and took a hard shot to the neck from Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson. Gage appeared to try to get up but couldn’t and slammed his hand into the ground in frustration. The team did not provide any immediate detail on his injury.
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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. The Cowboys won 31-14.
On Jan. 2, Hamlin went into cardiac arrest after making a tackle. Teammates were in tears while he was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Cincinnati. Hamlin has made a remarkable recovery and watched the Bills beat the Miami Dolphins in an AFC wild-card game from home Sunday.
