Cowboys WR Michael Gallup says he won't be ready for Week 1: 'We got a little ways to go'

As expected, Michael Gallup won’t be ready for the start of the regular season. Speaking to reporters, the Cowboys wideout said he’s still recovering from his ACL injury and said Week 1 isn’t a realistic return date.

“We got a little ways to go,” Gallup said, via ESPN's Ed Werder. “It’s gotta get a little bit stronger. … I’m ready to get back out there and help the team win.”

Gallup missed the first chunk of the 2021 season as he recovered from a calf injury. He ended up getting into nine games (eight starts) following his return to the field, hauling in 35 receptions for 445 yards and two touchdowns. Then, in Week 17, Gallup suffered a torn ACL, changing his plans for the offseason and the start of the 2022 season.

Despite the injury, the Cowboys were eager to pay the wideout, handing him a five-year, $62.5M extension. Thanks to that new contract, there should be less pressure for Gallup to return to the field and prove his worth. Instead, he can assure he returns to full health with the goal of being a productive receiver for all five years of his extension.

Gallup predictably started training camp on the PUP list, but reports out of Dallas indicate that he’s looking good on the sideline. Head coach Mike McCarthy also gave a glowing review of the wideout, noting that the receiver “has not missed a target yet” and “hasn’t had a setback,” via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. Assuming Gallup indeed misses at least Week 1, the Cowboys could turn to the likes of James Washington, T.J. Vasher, Noah Brown and third-round rookie Jalen Tolbert to play opposite CeeDee Lamb.