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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have suffered a major injury to their wide receiving corps. During Wednesday's practice session, wide receiver Russell Gage was carted off the field after going down with a serious knee injury.

ESPN reports that Gage will miss the entire 2023 campaign due to the injury. The wideout will undergo medical tests to confirm. Pewter Report reported that Gage could not put any weight on his leg after he went down, while team reporter Scott Smith reported that Gage was in "obvious duress" while being attended to by trainers.

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said after practice that their hearts go out to Gage as they await final word on what happened.

"We hear it's gonna be pretty serious, and I'll wait to hear the final results," Bowles said.

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Gage signed a three-year deal with the Buccaneers last offseason, and caught 51 passes for 426 yards and a career-high five touchdowns in 13 games played in 2022. Gage was originally a sixth-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 2018 out of LSU. In four seasons with Atlanta, he caught 193 passes for 2,065 yards and nine touchdowns.

The Buccaneers have a whopping 12 wide receivers on the roster at this point, so they are all but thin at the position. A couple of the younger players looking to make the roster are Kade Warner, Deven Thompkins, Trey Palmer, Ryan Miller, Cephus Johnson, Rakim Jarrett, Taye Barber and Kaylon Geiger.

The USF tight ends — a collection of physical, athletic and versatile players — figure to be a key to the Bulls' offense. They even have an appropriate nickname, which reflects their close-knit nature and mutually beneficial working relationship.

They are the "Tight Friends.''

Former USF center Brad Cecil originated the moniker last season and it has stuck. Bulls tight end Gunnar Greenwald said it fits.

"We work well together and all have interesting skill sets,'' Greenwald said. "It's a very close room. It's actually as close as it could be. I think we all bring good things to the table and it's going to benefit this team a lot.''

USF coach Alex Golesh already is dreaming of ways he can maximize the tight-end combinations.

"I love tight ends … they paid my bills for a long, long time,'' said Golesh, who was responsible for tight ends at five of his assistant-coaching stops. "I really like our group. It's a cool bunch of guys who are very smart and very talented.

"I think we've got three regular-role guys who can create a bunch of formational sets and be able to change up the pictures (on film). They are uniquely different and they allow you to play different offensively, which is what you want. The more multiple you are offensively, the harder you are to defend. Tight end is a critical position for us.''

USF's new tight ends coach, Clay Patterson, played tight end at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. He coached tight ends for four seasons at Minnesota, helping the Golden Gophers to one of the most dynamic offenses in program history during the 2019 season (5,616 yards of total offense and 443 points scored).

Tight end was an under-utilized position for the Bulls in 2022, when four players combined for 12 catches, 117 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games. That production could be eclipsed in a few weeks.

The primary tight ends in the offensive rotation coming out of the fall will be Greenwald (6-foot-4, 240 pounds), a junior from Satellite Beach; Jayson Littlejohn (6-4, 248), a senior in his second USF season after transferring from College of the Sequoias; and Weston Wolff (6-4, 240), a junior and Venice High product who's making his USF debut after playing at Maryland.

Greenwald made a big impression last season with his blocking — at times displaying a devastating downfield weapon by laying out defenders — but the former high school receiver said he's capable of consistent pass-catching as well.

Greenwald lived in Las Vegas until he was 15, when his family moved to Satellite Beach on Florida's East Coast.

"It completely changed who I was for the better,'' Greenwald said. "Everything is about the beach and the surf culture. I'm just so much at home on the beach. I love surfing, skim boarding and just seeing the sunrise and the sunset. It's where I find peace and happiness.

"But when I step between the lines, it's a whole different Gunnar. Ask anybody and they'll say I'm a laid-back dude, kind of chill. But when I'm on the field, I'm locked in and ready to go. I like to run people over. I bring the anger, for sure. Catching passes is great, but I don't mind doing the dirty work.''

Littlejohn, who has changed from No. 80 to No. 0, made a startling late-season impression in 2022. He had two receptions — and both went for touchdowns.

"I feel like number zero means I'm unique and there's no one like me,'' Littlejohn said. "I think I can make an impact by getting into some physical mismatches. We actually have a few tight ends who can do that.''

One of them is Wolff, who was recruited by Golesh for Iowa State, then UCF. He liked Golesh during his recruitment, calling him "one of my favorite assistant coaches I dealt with during recruiting,'' but opted for an offer to play with Maryland in the Big Ten Conference.

"When it didn't work out at Maryland and I jumped into the transfer portal, there was Coach Golesh right away and he was now at USF,'' Wolff said with a laugh. "Coach Golesh said, 'Wes, are you ready to make the right decision this time? Are you ready to come home?' I just said, 'Yeah coach, let's do it. I'm not going to make the same mistake again.' And here I am.

"This is honestly a dream offense for a tight end. We'll be blocking, of course, but we'll also be split wide, running routes, catching passes and scoring touchdowns. It's definitely an advantage to have a head coach who appreciates the tight-end position and understands what it can provide for the offense.''

What does Golesh have in store? Time will tell, but count on the tight ends to become a high-profile position.

"I'm excited,'' Golesh said. "Jayson Littlejohn was a junior-college guy who has played a ton of football. Man, he is athletic and fast. Weston Wolff is in that same mode, where he gives you a ton of flexibility on the perimeter and in the box. Gunnar Greenwald is like a grizzled vet who looks like more of a box guy, but he has gotten faster and quicker so he has a role on the perimeter as well.

"It's a really deep room and a fun group to be around. I like them a lot.''

Which could lead to a bonus Wolff didn't anticipate.

"He's always poking his head in our meetings, joking around sometimes, but being serious when he needs to be,'' Wolff said. "He has built a relationship with each of us. When a head coach does that, it really puts it into perspective and it makes you want to work hard for the guy.

"I really think we should make Coach Golesh an honorary member of the 'Tight Friends.' I think he deserves it.''

– #GoBulls –

WR Russell Gage suffered a potentially significant injury to his right knee early in Wednesday's joint practice, continuing a string of poor luck over the past two seasons and forcing the Bucs to dig into their young depth at the position

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got in approximately two hours of valuable work in conjunction with the New York Jets on Wednesday morning, but also suffered a potentially unfortunate loss. Early in the two teams' joint practice at Jets headquarters, wide receiver Russell Gage went down with an injury to his right knee that is believed to be significant.

"We hear it's going to be pretty serious," said Head Coach Todd Bowles immediately after practice. "I'll wait to hear the final results, but he's been battling back for the last…obviously since he's been here, it seems like. We wish him the best. I could tell by the way he was sitting on the truck that it's probably something that happened pretty bad. Our hearts go out to him and we'll see how it goes."

Gage suffered the injury running a short route to the sideline during a seven-on-seven passing drill, which was the first one that featured the Bucs' offense going against the Jets' defense. He was visibly upset and teammates gathered around him to offer support as he was taken off the field on a cart.

If Gage lands on injured reserve prior to the reduction of the roster to 53 players on August 29, he will miss his entire second season in Tampa, continuing a string of injury misfortune since he signed with the Buccaneers as an unrestricted free agent in March of 2022. After missing only four games in four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, Gage sat out four for the Bucs' last season and was slow to get fully involved in the offense due to leg ailments. He then suffered a concussion on a hard hit in the playoff loss to Dallas and missed all of the team's offseason work in 2023 with a hamstring injury.

"My heart goes out to Russ," said fellow wide receiver Chris Godwin. "That's my dog. He's been battling some things since he's been here, so to see him go down again is very, very tough. We're praying for him. I'm going to check on him when we get here. I don't know how serious it is but hopefully it's not too bad. Just hate to see that with anybody, especially someone that you're close to."

Gage also missed most of the Bucs' first week of training camp but after returning fully to practice he was taking a majority of first-team reps as the third receiver in a package with Godwin and Mike Evans. The Bucs were anticipating a full season of the Gage who caught 19 passes for 172 yards and three touchdowns over the last four games of the 2022 regular season.

"It was so unfortunate," said Evans. "He was just getting back into game-ready shape. He was looking good. He made a nice catch and it looked like his knee buckled a little bit. We don't really know the severity of the injury but we were praying for him the rest of practice. I just pray that it's not as bad as it looked."

The Buccaneers have nine other wideouts on their preseason roster in addition to Gage, Evans and Godwin. The majority of those nine are either rookies or second-year players with very little NFL experience. If Gage is forced to miss the season, the Bucs will need to dig deeper into that group of young pass-catchers to flesh out the position.

"I think it's still developing," said Bowles of the Bucs' receiver depth. "Obviously David Moore is pretty much the only one with experience. [Deven] Thompkins is in his second year, but we've got some rookies that we really like that will have to step up in a hurry, and we'll see what the next few weeks look like."

Thompkins has had a strong training camp and there have been periodic practice-field flashes from the likes of rookies Trey Palmer, Rakim Jarrett, Kade Warner, Ryan Miller and Taye Barber along with returning first-year player Kaylon Geiger. As noted, Moore, a post-draft addition to the roster, has experience, playing in 50 NFL games with 14 starts and turning in a 35-catch season for the Seattle Seahawks in 2020. The Buccaneers also added another undrafted rookie wideout last week in Cephus Johnson, who primarily played quarterback in college.

"There's opportunities now for other guys to kind of step in," said Godwin. "We've got a great group of young guys that have been working their asses off all camp. Now it's time to see who's going to step up and be able to fill a big void there. I think there are a lot of guys that have the opportunity to and have the ability to, so we'll just see how it plays out."

NFL training camps are officially in full swing, with veterans reporting across the league. Stay up to date with Yahoo Sports on the latest news, highlights, injuries, holdouts and everything else you need to know.

Detroit Lions second-year wideout Jameson Williams will likely miss the rest of the preseason with a hamstring injury he suffered during practice Wednesday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell later confirmed "there's a good chance" Williams' injury will last for the entire preseason. He also joked that he doesn't expect to have Williams for the first six games of the regular season as well, although that stems from a six-game suspension Williams received after the NFL found he and others participated in sports betting. Williams reportedly gambled on college games at team facilities, which is against the league's sports betting policy.

Williams reportedly pulled up limping on a deep passing drill Wednesday and clutched his right hamstring. He missed a few practices earlier this summer with a left hamstring ailment.

It's another setback for Williams, who the Lions drafted No. 12 overall in 2022. He missed the first 11 games of this past season while he recovered from an ACL injury he suffered in college. Williams played 78 snaps in six games in 2022 and only caught one of night targets — a 41-yard touchdown in a Week 17 win over the NFC North rival Chicago Bears. Williams caught two passes for 18 yards on 51 offensive snaps in his first preseason action against the New York Giants this past week.

The first game Williams will be eligible to play in 2023 — if he's healthy — is Week 7 against the Baltimore Ravens. For now, he'll have to sit, watch and recover from his injury.

Yahoo Sports' team of reporters, Charles Robinson, Jori Epstein and Charles McDonald will be spread across the country in the coming weeks to cover it all. Follow Yahoo Sports on social, join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football League, and gear up for kickoff to the 2023 season Sept. 7 in Kansas City.

NFL preseason updates

A pub that welcomes pups fought Florida’s health department in court and won. Now there’s an appeal - and a dog-related virtual challenge.

Published Yesterday|Updated Yesterday

Between appointments on a recent workday, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor paused to make a video with her dog Alcaldesa at her city offices. Desa, as the dog is called, regularly goes to work with the mayor.

In a scene that would be posted on Instagram, Castor wears a gray pantsuit and hefts the brown 30-pound, mixed-breed rescue dog in her arms. Then the mayor does 15 gym-style squats, with the rising-and-descending Desa looking befuddled.

“That would be my knees,” Castor says after squat number 2.

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A post shared by Jane Castor (@janecastor)

At the core of this seemingly lighthearted social media fundraising push — dubbed #pupsquatchallenge — is an ongoing Florida court battle that could have legal and business implications for dog bars across the state.

It started like this: In December 2020, husband and wife Alex Wright and Sheila Suhar opened Pups Pub in a former restaurant space on South Tampa’s Kennedy Boulevard. She’s a commercial real estate broker, he’s an Air Force veteran who worked in sports sales and customer service for the Orlando Magic.

“We saw that dog bars in Florida and the rest of the country were becoming a fun new trend,” said Wright, whose household includes mixed-breeds Bonnie and Rafi.

The Pups Pub concept: While owners sip draft beers and mixed drinks, their fixed and vaccinated dogs can socialize and hang out in the bar, which is equipped with a special turf Zamboni. The pub also has an enclosed outdoor area. Memberships cost $30 a month, $299 year and $15 for a day pass.

And the dog puns are endless, as in the canine birthday “pawties” they advertise.

Dog bars have been operating across Florida since at least 2018, according to court records in the Pups Pub case.

Things went so well in Tampa that Wright and Suhar opened a Pups Pub in downtown Orlando and started talking about a Brandon location.

Before opening the two pubs, according to court documents, the owners presented their plans to the respective county health departments, which are overseen by the Florida Department of Health.

“When we were inspected by the Department of Health before we opened, they said no dogs behind the bar. We said no problem,” said Wright. “It seemed all kosher.”

Pups Pub also prohibited dogs from entering bathrooms and storage rooms, according to court documents. “Additionally,” a judge would later note, “the dogs are not allowed on the bar tops.”

In its first year and a half, Pups Pub Tampa passed three inspections from health department officials. Then, last year, Wright said, authorities abruptly told the owners no dogs could be inside the buildings in either location — the very concept upon which the business is based.

At issue was rule 64E-11.003(6)(c) of the Florida Administrative Code regarding “food hygiene.” It says in part that “no live birds or animals, excluding crustacea, shellfish, and fish in aquariums, are allowed in a food service establishment ... or in any other area or facility used to conduct food service operations.”

Pups Pub serves beer, wine, shots and cocktails — or dogtails, as its menu says, with such names as Old Yeller Fashioned and Bad Mother Pupper. They do not serve food.

“We had to pay a lot of money to rezone as a bar/lounge,” Wright said. “We got rid of the kitchen.”

Given their previous inspections, Suhar, 36, and Wright, 35, said they didn’t get why the rules suddenly changed. They took their case to court.

Administrative Law Judge Lynne A. Quimby-Pennock heard the dispute earlier this year in Tallahassee. The question: Had the health department abruptly changed its interpretation of the rules without proper procedure — suddenly prohibiting dogs in bars where they had been permitted before?

After a hearing that included testimony, the judge noted in court records that the health department “continually harped on the term ‘food,’ and that ice and beverages are defined as food.” Yet both the applications for the two pubs that were approved by health officials specified “NO FOOD SERVICE,” the judge noted.

The judge also pointed to comments by a Hillsborough County inspector in a report saying the Tampa location needed to install a gate at the bar area “before dogs are allowed in (the) building.”

In her 29-page final order in June, Quimby-Pennock sided with Pups Pub. She wrote that “the weight of the persuasive, credible evidence” showed the health department “interpreted the rule for over four years to allow dogs in bars with certain restrictions,” and then prohibited dogs in bars.

“It is apparent that (the Department of Health) changed its interpretation and application of its own rule,” she said.

The Department of Health in Hillsborough County referred questions and requests for comment from the Tampa Bay Times to the state agency. A representative of the Florida Department of Health’s communications office told the Times via email that “the Department does not comment on any pending litigation.”

Pups Pub won. The owners celebrated what they called a victory for dog bars across Florida.

But the state health agency is now appealing the judge’s decision to the 1st District Court of Appeal. Wright said they can’t recover legal fees until after that court proceeding.

“We’re well into six figures,” he said. “It feels like the Department of Health’s attorneys’ strategy is to bleed us until we die. They hope we don’t survive long enough to get to a resolution.”

Hence the viral #pupsquatchallenge and #keepdogbarsopen, linking to a GoFundMe page. Wright says he’s also having conversations with elected state officials about the future of dog bars in Florida. He and Suhar say they’d like to see the business standardized with clear rules.

“We’re not saying dogs should go into Olive Garden,” Wright said.

“We’re creating a space where dogs can go,” said Suhar.

For now, dogs romp on at Pups Pub.

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