Jerry Jones is always the biggest optimist within the Cowboys organization, but there’s reason for the fanbase to also have hope that they’ll see wide receiver Michael Gallup back in the lineup sooner rather than later.
The owner said Wednesday that he does not expect the fifth-year veteran to be on the Physically Unable to Perform list when the final 53-man roster is announced on Aug. 30.
If he were, he would be required to sit out at least the first four games of the regular season. By taking him off PUP, the team would be betting that he’ll be ready to go sooner, even if he’s not a full go by Week 1.
“We just don’t want to do anything that would put him in some kind of category that would limit us from getting him in the first game,” Jones said prior to the team’s practice Wednesday evening.
“The strategic way that we handle this at cutdown will let him get to the club actively as quick as he can.”
Gallup himself admitted in late July that playing in the season opener was “not a reasonable possibility.” He was, however, spotted running routes and catching passes from quarterback Dak Prescott recently; he appears close to making his return.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones indicated WR Michael Gallup (ACL) won’t start the season on PUP.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) August 24, 2022
Gallup suffered a torn ACL catching a touchdown against Arizona in Week 17 last season. He underwent surgery in February, and his status for the season opener was always in doubt.
The club maintained hope, though, that his rehab was ahead of schedule throughout the offseason and camp. (That was one reason why he delayed surgery for several weeks after the tear; a prolonged post-injury rest period can allow inflammation to subside and make the recovery process easier.)
But if Gallup is moved to the active roster for next week’s final cutdown, it means one more bubble player will have to go. The team is currently carrying several extra receivers- Simi Fehoko and Dennis Houston, to name two- to provide depth at the position.
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