After six seasons, the Dallas Cowboys will be headed by Michael Gallup.
The Cowboys released Gallup on Friday, the team announced. Gallup was scheduled to be paid an annual salary of $8.5 million next season. Of that amount, $4 million will be fully guaranteed if he remains on Sunday's roster.
The trigger made it more likely that Gallup would be traded or released. His release date is set for June 1 or later, which will ultimately result in an additional $9.5 million in salary cap space this year.
Gallup is the fourth-highest paid offensive player on the Cowboys' 2024 books behind quarterback Dak Prescott, guard Zach Martin and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. He finished fifth in goals despite playing every game in 2023. His 55 targets were fewer than Lamb (181), tight end Jake Ferguson (102), wide receiver Brandin Cooks (81) and running back Tony Pollard (67). Ta.
Gallup suffered a torn left ACL and MCL on January 2, 2022.
The Cowboys parted ways with Amari Cooper and Cedric Wilson two months later and signed them to five-year, $62.5 million extensions in the same offseason.
Gallup struggled in his first season after suffering a knee injury and was still not back to form in early 2023. This departure reduced his role in the Week 7 bye. In his first six games, Gallup drew 32 targets, second on the team behind Lamb's 46. Gallup caught 18 of those 32 passes for 204 yards and no touchdowns. Prescott gave Gallup a 60.8 grade on his pitching, including an interception when Gallup failed to separate for reporters in Week 5 against the San Francisco 49ers.
In the 11 regular season games following the bye, five Cowboys teammates (plus wide receiver Jalen Tolbert) outnumbered Gallup's 25 targets.
Gallup, who turned 28 on March 4, had 34 catches for 418 yards and two scores.
Looking to the future, Gallup can be confident in how his tenure with the Cowboys ended. He had six receptions on six targets for 103 yards in January's playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers, making a strong case for being underutilized all season. The 100-yard game was Gallup's first since his knee injury. The 2018 third-round pick is currently healthy and building an opportunity to distance himself from a knee injury elsewhere.
Gallup was well-liked among his Cowboys teammates and was affectionately known as “MG.” He had Prescott's trust. Much of Gallup's success came on go routes and other deep chances, often requiring him to high-point the football in traffic through contact.
Gallup had his best year in 2019, catching 66 passes for 1,107 yards and six touchdowns. He became the third player in Cowboys history to eclipse 1,000 yards in his second NFL season, joining Bob Hayes and Drew Pearson. Ram joined the list a year later.
Releasing Gallup would create $13.05 million in dead money against the team's salary cap.
The hit spans two seasons.
Dallas plans to reduce the release period to after June 1, according to a person familiar with the team's thinking. In this situation, the Cowboys would not experience cap relief for several months and Gallup would continue to carry a $13.85 million cap number in 2024 as if he were still with the team. In June, the aforementioned $9.5 million will be added to 2024 cap room. Gallup plans to count $8.7 million toward the 2025 cap.
Wednesday was the earliest the Cowboys could release Gallup to take the cut after June 1st. They first gave him the ability to explore trades.
Lamb, Cooks, Tolbert, Kavonte Turpin and 2023 seventh-round pick Jalen Brooks are the most notable holdovers on the roster at wide receiver. Martavis Bryant, Jalen Cropper, Lacey McBath and David Durden round out the group. Bryant has a similar skill set to Gallup, but is 32 years old and hasn't played in an NFL game since the 2018 season.
The Cowboys put Gallup on the back burner.
He is now making a new start.
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