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By Jon Machota Jun 7, 2021
Michael Gallup is entering the biggest season of his football career. The Cowboys wide receiver is in the final year of his rookie contract. If he continues to build on his production from the previous two seasons, a significant payday is expected.
But it’s not guaranteed to come from Dallas. The Cowboys would like to keep him, but they have recently spent big on several key offensive starters, including quarterback Dak Prescott, running back Ezekiel Elliott and wide receiver Amari Cooper. They will also likely be doing everything in their power to keep last year’s first-round pick, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, when his rookie deal is up.
“I would love to stay here,” Gallup told The Athletic. “I hope I get to stay here. But I can’t control that. All I can control is what I can do on the field. It’s just go out there and make plays.”
What are his biggest reasons for wanting to stay in Dallas?
“I got my boys here in Dallas,” Gallup responded. “I’ve been here in Dallas. I know the ropes down here in Dallas. Dallas is a great area to be. The fans are great. The owners are great. The team is great. The coaches are great. I would love to stay down here.”
The combination of Gallup, Cooper and Lamb should give the Cowboys one of the NFL’s best wide receiver trios for the second consecutive season. They went into last year with the goal of each recording more than 1,000 receiving yards. Despite Prescott being lost for the season after suffering a gruesome ankle injury in Week 5, and Dallas forced to start three quarterbacks in his place, Gallup, Cooper and Lamb combined for 2,892 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns.
Cooper finished with 1,114, Lamb totaled 935 and Gallup ended up with 843. Gallup says the goal remains the same this season.
“That’s what we expect,” he added. “That’s what Coop told everybody that we were going to do (last year), so we need to go out there and do it.”
The 2008 Arizona Cardinals were the last NFL team to have three 1,000-yard receivers. Larry Fitzgerald (1,431), Anquan Boldin (1,038) and Steve Breaston (1,006) helped lead Arizona to the Super Bowl that season.
Prescott has to be healthy for the Cowboys to come anywhere near that success. Judging by his work at organized team activities the last two weeks, he appears to be ahead of schedule in his return. He has said on multiple occasions that he could play in a game today, if needed.
“He’s in there leading the squad,” Gallup said. “He’s back to his old self. He’s out here throwing the rock. He’s out here running it. He’s doing exactly what he’s supposed to do, and we all knew he was going to do it. No shortages on his end.
“We all know that he was built to do this. He was built to lead and he came back stronger than ever. We’re ready to go.”
Gallup and Prescott were recently joined by rookie cornerback Kelvin Joseph to help the nonprofit organization OurCalling, which works to cure homelessness. With the help of Prescott’s Faith, Fight, Finish Foundation, the three Cowboys presented a woman, who graduated from the program, with a brand new SUV.
“Honestly, just making someone else’s day definitely puts a smile on your face,” Gallup said. “I know she had a big smile up under her mask and we all had smiles too.”
Gallup, who was adopted at 10 months old, grew up in a house with seven brothers and sisters, five of whom were also adopted. Since being drafted by the Cowboys in the third round in 2018, Gallup has been an ambassador for the Special Olympics of Texas, worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and helped serve his mother’s charity in Africa, Action International. He says his most memorable moment working in the community came two years ago when he met with a Special Olympics group that didn’t have uniforms or footwear to compete. They also didn’t have a bus to get to the event. Gallup gifted the team uniforms and shoes through Adidas and provided them with a bus.
“When I got drafted, I thought to myself, I can really do something with this,” Gallup said. “I think it’s good just to know that there are people looking out for you even if you don’t know that they’re looking out for you. I was always raised that way. I think that goes hand in hand with how my mom and my oldest sister treat people. I always loved it. I like seeing a smile on someone else’s face.”
If everything goes to plan for Gallup, he’ll record the second 1,000-yard season of his career, the Cowboys will get back to the playoffs, he’ll get re-signed, and continue making an impact off the field.
“Honestly, I want to do all I can to get in the end zone, catch every pass that No. 4 throws to me, and help this club win ballgames,” Gallup said. “I just want to go out there and have a good time and play ball. And I know we can do it this year.”
