Exclusive: Cowboys Urged to Cut Ties With $57.5 Million ‘Poor Investment’

It’s anticipated that as the Dallas Cowboys’ offseason progresses, things will get ugly. That’s what happens to a squad that has another 12-5 season and another unexpected playoff collapse. A difficult few weeks are ahead of Mike McCarthy and the coaching staff.

Jerry Jones, the owner of the Cowboys, and the front staff are going to have a difficult few weeks. Additionally, the team’s accountants should have a difficult few months, which implies that some of the Cowboys’ higher-paid players, including wide receiver Michael Gallup, will also have a difficult time.

Gallup served as a metaphor for everything that went wrong with the Cowboys this year. Throughout the season, he was a huge letdown, with just 34 catches and just 418 yards, which is the least of his career. In the Cowboys’ wild-card defeat to the Packers, he had impressive stats (six catches, 103 yards), but he only had two first-half catches for 25 yards and did not make a catch until the Packers were down 20-0.

Now that the Cowboys are in a financial crunch, Gallup might be facing termination. Bleacher Report expressed this sentiment this week when they ranked the Cowboys players most likely to be “cap casualties,” with Gallup topping the list.

Michael Gallup Didn’t Live Up to His Salary

Here’s how B/R’s Kris Knox views the issue for the Cowboys, who, according to OverTheCap.com, are already $16 million above the salary cap going into the summer and will have to watch every dollar.

Since the Dallas Cowboys signed wide receiver Michael Gallup to a five-year, $57.5 million agreement in 2022, Gallup has found it difficult to live up to expectations. Even while he can still produce the odd huge play, Gallup made it obvious that Brandin Cooks had taken over as the number-two receiver this season.

“Jerry Jones rarely acknowledges bad financial decisions, but it’s time to either rework Gallup’s contract or terminate it completely. With a post-June 1 designation, his release would result in a $4.4 million dead-cap hit while saving $9.5 million in cap space, Knox wrote in the January 16 story.

The Cowboys have star wideout CeeDee Lamb, one of the best in the game, but they haven’t been able to locate a suitable backup. Cooks is a reliable player, but at thirty he is more fit for a No. 3 role. They cut Amari Cooper, who had over 1,100 yards in each of the previous two seasons, because Gallup possesses the speed and downfield potential of a No. 2, but he hasn’t yet turned that ability into productivity.

Cowboys Must Make Pricey Choices Soon

The days of the Cowboys letting Gallup get away with underperformance are long gone. They cannot afford to make errors like letting Cooper depart or postpone selecting players in the draft such as 2022 third-rounder Jalen Tolbert.

This is because the Cowboys will no longer be able to enjoy many of the complimentary lunches they have enjoyed over the past few years.

Dallas must pay Dak Prescott, who may still receive the largest contract in NFL history this offseason even if he led the recent playoff catastrophe. The $59.5 million remaining on his backloaded contract after the upcoming season needs to be restructured into a long-term agreement.

Additionally, Micah Parsons and Lamb must be paid among the highest salaries for athletes in their positions by the Cowboys. Parsons and Lamb played together for a total of $9 million last season since they were still in their rookie contracts. Now that the Cowboys are required to provide extensions, that will alter.

Dallas will have to tighten its belt elsewhere. And Gallup is the top candidate.