Raiders News: Michael Gallup Retires Prior To Start Of Training Camp

Corey Hansford
Corey Hansford
3 Min Read
Nov 25, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup (13) catches a pass against Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Casey Hayward (29) in the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The Las Vegas Raiders are set at starting wide receiver between Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers. The third spot on the depth chart is up for grabs, however, and one player believed to be in the mix was veteran Michael Gallup.

Gallup signed with the Raiders this offseason after spending six seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. The veteran was known as a big-play threat in Dallas but struggled to regain his form after suffering a torn ACL in 2021.

There was some belief that a change of scenery could help Gallup get back to his previous level, but in fact, the opposite is the case. Gallup announced his retirement from the NFL just one day before the start of Raiders training camp via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN:

Michael Gallup, who signed a one-year contract worth as much as $3 million with the Las Vegas Raiders on April 30 and was expected to compete for the team’s No. 3 receiver spot, instead retired Tuesday, the day before the Raiders’ first training camp practice.

Gallup, 28, participated in OTAs and minicamp for the Raiders this offseason. A six-year NFL veteran, he caught 266 passes for 3,744 yards and 21 touchdowns with the Dallas Cowboys.

It is an unfortunate situation for Gallup who showed so much promise in his early days with the Cowboys. In his second season he totaled 1,107 receiving yards and six touchdowns as he looked to be a core part of the future in Dallas. They even signed him to a five-year, $57.5 million deal in 2022 after the injury.

But Gallup just hasn’t looked the same the past two seasons. The Raiders taking a chance on him with a one-year deal made a ton of sense, but perhaps after minicamps and OTAs, he simply came to the realization that he can’t play the game of football at the level he wants anymore.

For the Raiders this puts second-year man Tre Tucker in prime position to be the team’s third receiver and primary deep threat.

Raiders’ Davante Adams feels he is the best receiver in the NFL

The third receiver spot is in question, but not the number one spot as that is firmly occupied by Davante Adams. And in Adams’ eyes, he is still at the top of the mountain in terms of the best receiver in the game today.

The Raiders star listed his top-five receivers in the NFL today and put himself in the top spot with Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings, Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins, CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys and Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals.

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Corey Hansford is the Senior Editor for Lakers Nation, as well as a contributor for Dodger Blue, Rams News Wire, and Raiders News Wire. He is a passionate follower of the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chelsea FC, and the UFC. He can usually be seen arguing the merits of Kobe Bryant or cursing the decisions of Jerry Jones. He is also a former producer and associate producer for Sirius XM Sports Radio on both the Fantasy Sports Channel and College Sports Nation. Proud graduate of Long Beach Poly High School and The Real HU, Howard University, with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Follow him on all social media outlets at @TheeCoreyH.