Cowboys' Michael Gallup expected to miss three to five weeks with calf strain

Michael Gallup‘s contract year is not starting well. The Cowboys will be without their fourth-year wideout for a stretch due to a calf strain, per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News.

The Cowboys’ passing attack did not slow down after Gallup left Thursday’s shootout in the second half, with Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb combining for 20 catches and 243 yards. This duo will be relied upon going forward, with Gehlken indicating Gallup is facing a three-to five-week absence. Mike McCarthy said Friday this will at least be a multiweek injury.

This is poised to be a pivotal year for Gallup, who may well be auditioning for other teams as a free agent-to-be. The Cowboys are not planning to negotiate with their 2022 free agents before this season ends, and Gallup and Cooper appear to be vying for one salary slot alongside Lamb on next year’s roster. Cooper’s five-year, $100M contract becomes easier to shed in 2022, but Dallas’ high-priced receiver offered a strong performance to start his sixth NFL season.

Gallup broke through in 2019, totaling 66 catches for 1,107 yards and six touchdowns in just 14 games. With Dak Prescott missing much of last season, and Lamb having arrived as a first-round pick, Gallup took a slight step back (59/843/5 in 16 games). But a quality contract year will make the Colorado State alum an attractive option for receiver-needy teams next March, in the event the Cowboys decide to allocate resources elsewhere.

Dallas has some experience behind Gallup, in fourth-year cog Cedrick Wilson and fifth-year pass-catcher Noah Brown. The latter is currently on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list. The Cowboys drafted Simi Fehoko in this year’s fifth round.