CeeDee Lamb wished his former Dallas Cowboys teammate Michael Gallup well after he announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday.
The Las Vegas Raiders have placed Gallup on the reserve/retired list. After six seasons with the Cowboys, Gallup inked a one-year deal worth up to $3 million with the Raiders this offseason.
Lamb responded to the news by showing some love to Gallup on social media. It included a post that read: “Beyond ball brada.”
Lamb added in another post: “Til infinity brada I got you. Enjoy retirement king.”
Gallup finished his career with 266 receptions for 3,744 yards and 21 touchdowns — all with the Cowboys.
The Cowboys parted ways with Gallup in March in a cap-saving move. He had three years and $45.55 million remaining on his contract. Gallup was expected to compete for a role within the Raiders offense behind Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers, but he won’t take a snap in a Vegas uniform.
Michael Gallup’s Retirement Was Surprise for Raiders
According to Ed Werder of ESPN, Gallup stepping away from football surprised the Raiders.
“Source says Michael Gallup informing Raiders he decided to retire from the NFL was unexpected,” Werder reported. “Gallup, a former third-round pick of the Cowboys who became a 1,000-yard receiver before tearing his ACL, explained ‘his heart was not 100 percent into it.'”
Gallup’s best year came in 2019. He collected 1,107 yards to go with six touchdowns and looked like a key part of the future in Dallas. He followed that up with a 59-catch, 843-yard campaign.
However, Gallup never fully recovered from the ACL injury in 2021. Last season, he posted just 34 receptions for 418 yards and two touchdowns in an explosive Cowboys offense. Gallup earned around $30 million in his career.
CeeDee Lamb Holding Out for New Contract
The Cowboys have a pressing issue with Lamb. He is expected to hold out of training camp in search of a new deal, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.
“CeeDee Lamb and the team have worked on a new contract, but have not been able to come to terms. Now, he’ll officially be a holdout, collecting fines with hopes of reaching a new deal at some point,” Rapoport tweeted on Tuesday, July 23.
Lamb finished last season with a league-high 135 receptions for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns. Wide receiver contracts skyrocketed around the NFL this offseason. Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson, Miami Dolphins pass-catcher Jaylen Waddle and Detroit Lions standout Amon-Ra St. Brown recently signed big-money deals, ushering in a new era of lucrative receiver contracts.
Lamb is not the only contract creating conversation. The Cowboys have to figure out a path forward with multiple key players, including quarterback Dak Prescott and defensive star Micah Parsons.
“Well those things take time. And we’re talking about deals here… when you’re talking about CeeDee and Dak… somebody like a Micah [Parsons] coming up… you’re talking about two players that aren’t quarterbacks that feel like they ought to be a little bit like [Justin] Jefferson, the top paid non-quarterbacks in the league,” Dallas COO and EVP Stephen Jones said on The Athletic’s “Scoop City” podcast on Friday, July 19.
The Cowboys will open the regular season on September 8 against the Cleveland Browns.
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