DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys are staying positive when it comes to the rehabilitation of receiver Michael Gallup.
The former 2018 third-rounder from Colorado State tore his ACL in Week 17 against the Arizona Cardinals in the 2021 season. The rehab timeline for Gallup meant that he would be a close call for making the Opening Day roster against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Ultimately, Week 1 wasn’t in the cards.
Gallup told reporters in Oxnard, Calif., during training camp in late July that he wasn't going to be able to go against the Buccaneers.
"That’s not a reasonable possibility," said Gallup. "It’s not a reasonable possibility.”
Gallup further elaborated that Week 1 was, "not in the drawings."
Even though Gallup may not be ready for Tampa Bay, there are still positive signs along the way that the Cowboys may still get a healthy Gallup in 2022.
The Cowboys had to get to 80 players on their active roster on Aug. 23 at 3:00 p.m. Central Time. While the Cowboys could have placed Gallup on the physically unable to perform list, it would have nixed him for the first four weeks of the season — as will be the case with Washington defensive end Chase Young.
The fact that the Cowboys didn't do so indicates that they believe Gallup could play within the first four weeks of the season, and the messaging out of The Star indicates as much.
"You know how this fourth quarter goes in the rehab," coach Mike McCarthy told reporters on Aug. 23. "All I can tell you is when we have the meeting every morning, [athletic trainer] Britt Brown is obviously running the rehab and he feels real good about Michael’s progress as far as his timeline and so forth. He hasn’t had any setbacks and I hope we will continue to be blessed with that process. He’s doing really well."
Another possibility is the Cowboys simply don't have to make a decision on Gallup presently. The big cuts occur on Aug. 30 when teams have to get to 53 players by 3:00 p.m. Central Time. At that time, the Cowboys will have to conduct roster massaging common throughout the NFL — including the possibility of flipping the switch that does place Gallup on injured reserve.
With Gallup not having to go on any reserve list yet, the indication is that he is on target to be a viable option for the active roster. Game day activations will be another issue that the Cowboys will have to navigate.
Do you think the Cowboys offense will keep their heads above water until Michael Gallup makes his return? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.
