Former Cowboys WR Michael Gallup signs with Washington Commanders, comes out of retirement

Michael Gallup is back in the NFL and signed a new contract with the Washington Commanders. On Thursday, the team announced they have signed the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, who announced his retirement last year. The full details of the contract have not been revealed.

Gallup was a member of the Cowboys from 2018-2023. He was released from the team following the 2023 season and signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in April of last year. Before the start of training camp, Gallup announced his retirement from football.

🆕 addition to the wide receiver room@michael13gallup | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/HWEMcdln5y

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) March 20, 2025

It was reported earlier this month that Michael Gallup was intending to come out of retirement. The former Colorado State star visited with the Commanders and Seattle Seahawks before signing a deal with Washington.

The Cowboys selected Gallup in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, Gallup caught 33 passes for 507 yards and two touchdowns. He had a breakout season in 2019, catching 66 passes for 1,107 yards and six scores.

Why Michael Gallup was released from the Cowboys

In 86 games with the Cowboys, Gallup tallied 266 receptions for 3,744 yards and 21 TDs. His production declined after suffering a calf injury tearing his ACL during the 2021 season. During the 2022 offseason, Gallup signed a five-year, $62.5 million contract extension with Dallas as he was recovering from reconstructive knee surgery.

Before the Cowboys released Michael Gallup, ESPN said cutting him would be a “bold” move. “Gallup has never quite come back from the ACL injury he suffered near the end of the 2021 season,” ESPN writes. “Last season, he was the clear third among the Cowboys’ main receivers. He ranked 59th in receiving DYAR out of 81 qualifying receivers. By comparison, CeeDee Lamb was third and Brandin Cooks was 28th after coming on strong in the second half of the season.

“A regular cut of Gallup would leave a ton of dead money on the Cowboys’ cap. But a post-June 1 cut would give the Cowboys $9.5 million in extra cap space with $4.4 million in dead money. That extra cap space would help the Cowboys, who are currently $20 million over the cap for 2024.”

Gallup joins a Commanders team that reached the NFC Championship game last year. The wide receiver corps includes Terry McLaurin and former San Francisco 49ers star Deebo Samuel.