The Seattle Seahawks’ efforts to provide new quarterback Sam Darnold with enough weapons to succeed is not ending with Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdez-Scantling. Though the Hawks’ wide receiver room looks a lot more promising than it did just a week ago, general manager John Schneider continues to explore options. The latest is former Cowboys receiver Michael Gallup.
The 29-year-old recently announced that he planned to rejoin the NFL. He sat out the 2024 season after announcing his retirement last July. Several teams, including Seattle, have expressed an interest in kicking the tires on his possible return.
If they could get the Michael Gallup of 2019, new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak would be ecstatic. That was his second season in the league. Gallup was part of a three-headed monster receiving attack alongside Amari Cooper and Randall Cobb. All three caught more than 50 balls, and each averaged more than 15 yards per catch. Gallup was a serious threat. His 16.8 yards per catch was seventh-best in the league. His following season was almost as good.
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But things took a downward turn in 2021. He had a calf injury early and a torn ACL late. He only played in nine games. Returning from the knee injury, Gallup did not look like the same player in 2022. His total yardage took a major hit. He didn’t seem to have big plays in him anymore.
But he had a decent 2023. He stayed healthy. He still didn’t appear to be the dangerous deep threat he had once been, but there were signs that he was developing into a solid all-around receiver who could still threaten a secondary on occasion. A 41-yard touchdown on a go route against the Giants in November suggested that Gallup was at least part of the way back.
His performance in 2023 convinced the Raiders to bring him to Las Vegas. They hoped he could complete another three-receiver attack with Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers. But before preseason even began, and with little in the way of explanation, Gallup announced his retirement.
In the past week, he reportedly met with the Washington Commanders, another team looking to add to their receiver depth. His meeting with the Seahawks has been widely reported, though no firm date has been announced.
What could Michael Gallup bring to the Seattle offense? That is largely dependent on how healthy he is. Gallup may have lost a little bit in terms of raw speed, but that was never what made him an above-average deep threat. Gallup always had decent speed. But his other skills were equally important. Over time, he became a more effective route runner and developed enough strength to prevent defensive backs from knocking him off stride. Best of all, he tracked long throws very well.
Those skills are most likely still intact. If Gallup can still run, even if he can’t run quite as fast as he once did, he could be a very valuable weapon for Darnold. Jaxon Smith Njigba’s skills are needed all over the field. And though Cooper Kupp will make a defense pay if they sleep on him, he will not be running deep very often.
Gallup would be a natural Z receiver, allowing JSN and Kupp to trade off lining up at the X and in the slot. In four-wide sets, with MVS on the opposite side, they could seriously stretch a defense and open up things underneath. Gallup's 14.1 career yards-per-catch does not equal MVS. He is not as explosive. But, his completion percentage of 55 percent is markedly better. That isn't too bad a number for a receiver who runs a lot of deep routes.
Any team considering a player returning after retirement has to gauge more than his physical level. Schneider needs to understand where Gallup is mentally – why he retired and why he wants to return. He may be especially sensitive to this in light of what happened with Gallup’s former Cowboys teammate Connor Williams last season.
But that’s why you bring him in for a look and a chat. He doesn’t have to be the Michael Gallup of 2021. If he can still perform at his 2023 level and if he has a renewed passion for the game, Michael Gallup could be a real benefit to Seattle in 2025. He will come cheap. And even with the recent moves, Seattle still needs help at wide receiver. Gallup in a vacuum is not the answer. But he could be a valuable puzzle piece for a new Seahawks' offense.
