The Dallas Cowboys aren’t worried at all about the long-term health of wide receiver Michael Gallup. While Gallup has passed his physical and is on the active roster, he has been ruled out for the first game after tearing his ACL last season.
Michael Gallup injury update
Although Gallup won’t play in the season opener, a league source emphasized that he is doing extremely well in his recovery. That includes running routes and running full speed.
The Cowboys are following a cautious approach with Gallup to avoid any potential setbacks. They are confident he will play a significant amount of football this season.
The hope is that he can return in the next few weeks, with one source noting that he’s basically week-to-week. Gallup might not play in the first few weeks of the season, and his exact return date remains up in the air. It’s going to be relatively soon, though.
“If this were the Super Bowl, Gallup would be lining up and playing,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on his radio show. “If Tampa were the Super Bowl, he would be lining up and playing. And, so, we’re going to be cautious — not cautious, but conservative — with him. He won’t be out there more than likely against Tampa, but if it were the Super Bowl, he would be out there. He’s that ready.”
Gallup caught 35 passes for 445 yards and two touchdowns on 62 targets across nine games before he got hurt last season. Over the last two years, he has had 94 catches, 1,288 yards, and seven touchdowns. But Gallup blew up in 2019, recording 1,107 yards and six TDs on 66 receptions.
The Cowboys will be a bit thin at wide receiver against Tampa Bay in Week 1.
While CeeDee Lamb is the unquestioned No. 1 option, they’ll likely utilize third-down rookie Jalen Tolbert behind him with James Washington (broken foot) on the injured reserve. Tolbert had six catches for 45 yards in the preseason.
Other wide receivers that could be in play for the Cowboys: Noah Brown, Simi Fehoko, Dennis Houston, and former USFL star KaVontae Turpin, who’s been an electric kick returner since joining the team.