Michael Gallup Surprises Raiders with Retirement Decision

The Las Vegas Raiders have recently announced some roster changes, including the unexpected retirement of wide receiver Michael Gallup.

Gallup, who had just signed a one-year deal worth $3 million with the Raiders this offseason, was placed on the Reserve/Retired list, catching the team off guard. According to ESPN‘s Ed Werder, the news of Gallup’s retirement came as a surprise to the Raiders’ front office.

After attending organized team activities and minicamp, Gallup made his retirement known just one day before the team was scheduled to report to training camp. He was anticipated to compete for the top three receiver position alongside stars Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers.

The 28-year-old receiver kicked off his career with the Cowboys, catching 33 passes for 507 yards in his rookie year in 2018. He made headlines during the Cowboys’ playoffs that same season where he snagged six passes for 119 yards in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Continuing his impressive career, Gallup became the Cowboys’ second-leading receiver in 2019, finishing with 66 receptions for 1,107 yards and six touchdowns. However, his career took a downturn after tearing his ACL in January 2022.

Despite appearing in all 17 games last season for the Cowboys, Gallup only managed to secure 34 passes for 418 yards and was ultimately cut in March to free up cap space. Shortly after that, he signed with the Raiders.