FRISCO / Dallas Cowboys receiver Michael Gallup is feeling better every day. Over a year removed from his ACL injury, the former third-round selection is starting to feel like himself.
And, per our conversation with QB Dak Prescott, Gallup is starting to practice like himself, too.
Said Dak here inside The Star on Thursday: “He’s starting to come back into who Michael Gallup is and feel (like) himself. … He’s getting his feet under him, and he’s going to be better.”
Last season Gallup didn't pass the eye test. Something wasn't right with the receiver. He failed to get separation, and his output was nearly a career low ... but there was a reason for that.
Gallup was still struggling to get to full health. But now, after getting his feet underneath him post-injury, he is slowly starting to feel more like himself.
"I'm very confident I'll feel like that guy again," Gallup said. "Very confident. It just feels different. It's kind of in the air. I smile every time I walk in that facility."
ACL injuries generally take a while to recover from, and even longer for a player to feel confident in the knee once on the football field.
This was true for Gallup last season as the negative thoughts lingered …
"You go out there, you want to play like you always play," Gallup said. "You know how you're supposed to play. That didn't happen for me last year. I was thinking too much. My knee was feeling sore and it was just different."
"I was thinking it, but I didn't want to say it. If you say it, you believe it. I didn't really want to say it. I had those thoughts but you gotta block them out."
With a receiving room that was often CeeDee Lamb or bust, Gallup wasn't afforded the luxury of easing himself back into football. He had to be a viable contributor from day one.
That can be difficult when you are battling the mental demons that are generally associated with a long-term injury. But now, it's a different story.
With the addition of Brandin Cooks, Gallup can go about his business in the background as both Lamb and Cooks will get the attention of the defense's best players - which leaves Gallup to roam around and do his thing.
We shouldn't forget the talent he possesses either. In 2019, Gallup had a 1,107-yard, six-touchdown season and in 2020 he totaled 843 yards and five touchdowns as he was part of a three-headed monster that included Amari Cooper (1,114 yards, five touchdowns) and Lamb (935 yards, five touchdowns).
Now, the newest trio of attacking stars sees Gallup as WR3, a position most feel suits him. Cooks and Lamb will take the lion share of the focus, leaving Gallup to do what he does best.
Could Gallup be the biggest winner this offseason for the Cowboys? Another good receiver to help ease the workload and his knee feeling the best it has since the injury, it certainly feels like it.
With Mike McCarthy's West Coast offense set to suit Gallup's style of play, we could see the reemergence of a receiver who is finally getting back to a place both mentally and physically where he can be himself on the field.
And that bodes well for the Cowboys and for Dak, who said of Gallup, “That’s a guy that I’ve got a lot of trust in.”
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