After six seasons and over 65 starts with the Dallas Cowboys, Michael Gallup has found a new home. The veteran wide receiver is signing a one-year deal worth up to $3 million with the Las Vegas Raiders, sources tell Adam Schefter.
Gallup is coming off his worst season yet as a pro. He did not miss a game for the Cowboys in 2023 but posted a career-low in receiving yards (418) and receiving yards per game (24.6). It marked Gallup's third consecutive season not going over 450 yards.
Gallup's yardage has gone down every season since his only 1,000-yard season in 2019. Gallup averaged over 79 yards per game in 14 games that season. He also scored a career-high six touchdowns.
Overall, Gallup scored 21 touchdowns and averaged 43.5 yards per game with the Cowboys. He also had an impressive Dallas finale during the wild card game last season. Gallup caught six passes for 103 yards in a 48-32 Cowboys loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Dallas had high expectations for Gallup following his rookie contract and signed him to a five-year extension worth $62.5 million before the 2022 season. He lasted only two seasons into that deal and is now set to begin a new chapter of his NFL career with the Raiders.
At 28 years old, Gallup has time to right the ship for his career and become a productive player again. Are the Raiders the right fit for him?
Raiders building offensive skill players
The Raiders offense did not hold up its end of the deal last season as it sputtered out of the gate and did not improve much after a midseason quarterback and coaching change. Las Vegas ranked 23rd in passing offense and 27th in total offense in 2023. Those are the Raiders' worst numbers since they finished with the worst-ranked offense and were 26th in passing offense in 2014.
The Raiders appear headed for a QB battle during training camp and the front office has equipped both parties with plenty of weapons to make them look good. Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell have the tools to make Las Vegas' offense succeed and the signing of Michal Gallup adds to that.
Gallup joins a wide receiver group led by three-time first-team All-Pro Davante Adams, who's averaged 110 receptions, 1,396 yards and 12 touchdowns per year over the last four seasons. Jakobi Meyers is coming off a solid 2023 campaign which saw him record 807 receiving yards and 10 total touchdowns. He also threw a touchdown pass in his first season with the Raiders.
Adding Gallup isn’t the only offensive move new general manager Tom Telesco made. Though they were widely expected to take a quarterback, the Raiders used the 13th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on All-American tight end Brock Bowers. He joins Michael Mayer to create a young tight end duo Las Vegas can develop over the next few years.
The Raiders have reached the playoffs twice since losing Super Bowl 37 in 2003. Las Vegas has only two winning seasons since then. The franchise has a lot of work to do before getting back to winning ways, but it is hoping the future looks a little brighter after the draft.
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