The San Francisco 49ers have had to scramble recently to fill out their wide receiver ranks with all of the injuries they have endured. Yet, a veteran receiver they inked back in January has proven to be a surprising diamond in the rough at training camp.
San Francisco signed veteran wide receiver Russell Gage back in January. Not much was thought of it at the time since Gage has not played a regular-season game in the NFL since 2022 and tore his patellar tendon back in 2023, which is a very serious injury that has been known to end players' careers.
It has been a long road to recovery, but Gage is back and he is turning heads in training camp. Niners beat reporters Matt Barrows and Matt Maiocco both identified Gage as a standout early on.
Gage made an impressive diving catch early in camp, so it seems like he is doing everything he can to earn a spot on the roster. He is even starting to gain quarterback Brock Purdy's trust, which is a very good sign and bodes well for his chances.
Of course, with the wide receiver situation being what it is for San Francisco, the conditions are ripe for someone like Gage to come out of nowhere and earn a spot on the team and potentially even have an impact in the regular season.
He has had success in the NFL in the past, so he has proven he can get the job done. In five NFL seasons, four of them with the Atlanta Falcons and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Gage has 2,491 receiving yards and 14 touchdown catches.
Gage had a standout career with the LSU Tigers in college and was drafted by the Falcons in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Even if it has been a while since he has tasted action in an NFL game, that could actually work to his advantage because that desire to return to the league is only going to motivate him more and help him stand out in camp.
A year like this in which the 49ers are facing so many problems at wide receiver could be the one opportunity where the stars align for a veteran like Gage. If he keeps it up and continues to impress, it would be a feel-good story if he were to make the team and help the Niners out early this season.