NFL Rumors: Cowboys Wide Receiver Could Return for Monday Night Football

The Dallas Cowboys offense could get a much-needed boost when they face the New York Giants in Week 3. Head coach Mike McCarthy shared at his Wednesday presser that wide receiver Michael Gallup would participate fully in practice this week to prepare him for a potential return on Monday Night Football:

Michael Gallup will take a “full slate of reps” in practice and get “every opportunity” this week to possibly return Monday vs. the Giants, per Mike McCarthy. Team will see how the full week goes before making a decision.
— Rob Phillips (@robphillips3) September 21, 2022

Gallup has been sidelined since tearing his ACL in a 2021 Week 17 contest against the Arizona Cardinals. Despite the injury, the Cowboys signed Gallup to a lucrative five-year, $62.5 million contract this offseason. The team's commitment to Gallup went beyond that deal; they also traded away established star Amari Cooper for a pittance partly because they believed Gallup deserved a larger share of targets in the passing game.

The Cowboys have gotten off to a rough start on offense through two weeks of the NFL season, ranking 31st in scoring and losing starting quarterback Dak Prescott to a thumb injury. It might not be reasonable to expect Gallup's return to completely turn around the Cowboys' fortunes, but he should certainly make things at least a little bit easier for backup quarterback Cooper Rush while Prescott recovers. Gallup has hauled in 2902 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns since being drafted by Dallas 81st overall in 2018. At the peak of his powers, Gallup tallied 79.1 yards per game across 14 appearances for the 2019 Cowboys.