Cowboys WR Michael Gallup out for year with torn ACL

The pending free agent made a special catch, as is his modus operandi. Unfortunately it ended his season. What’s next for him, and the Cowboys WR corps.

The worst was feared immediately, watching Michael Gallup grab his knee instead of celebrating his second-quarter touchdown. Upon replay, the injury was realized. As Gallup planted to rise to catch a back-shoulder fade from quarterback Dak Prescott, his left knee buckled. Gallup was checked out by the training staff, and the test they were doing on the knee (anterior drawer) was clear what was happening.

Gallup went into the blue medical tent on the sideline, then went into the locker room. The team quickly announced he was ruled out for the game and now after the game it’s been confirmed. Gallup tore his left ACL in the 25-22 defeat and is done for the year.

Gallup has had a rough season. He strained his calf in Week 1’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, missing the next eight weeks before returning face his hometown Atlanta Falcons in Week 10. Gallup’s catch was just his second touchdown of the season, which is tough as he is set to enter the free agent market.

He finishes his year with 35 catches for 445 yards and the two scores.

Dallas got accustomed to working without Gallup and fortunately for them the cupboard isn’t bare behind him. They will certainly miss his ability to go up and make catches like the one he was injured on, but Cedrick Wilson has played well in his absence this year. Wilson caught a touchdown and an extra-point conversion on Sunday, as well as completed a big pass to Tony Pollard.

Wilson now has 40 receptions, 483 receiving yards, four receiving touchdowns while having three completions for 88 passing yards. He is the Cowboys’ trick-play specialist and having him in the game as part of the three-receiver rotation with Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb could disguise those trick plays even more.

Behind Wilson, Malik Turner has had a very strong season as well with 12 receptions for 149 yards and three scores of his own. It doesn’t sound like much, but Turner is WR6 for Dallas.

Still, Gallup will be a tough loss. Many expected him to price his way out of Dallas this season, but while many fans are thinking his final catch with the Cowboys will be that touchdown, his late-season injury could bring him back on an inexpensive one-year deal.

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