Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco didn’t see it coming.
When veteran wide receiver Michael Gallup, signed by the Raiders this offseason after spending the first six seasons of his career with the Dallas Cowboys, suddenly announced his retirement, it caught Telesco off guard.
“I didn’t see that one coming at all,” Telesco said Thursday, via The Athletic’s Tashan Reed. “That just kind of came up out of the blue. When I talked to him, it seemed like he had a pretty clear vision. He’s ready to move on. It’s too bad.”
“Hell of a receiver, but a better dude,” Cowboys quarterback Prescott said, via the Cowboys team website’s Patrik Walker. “And he was huge for my career.”
How Las Vegas Raiders Can Replace Michael Gallup
The Raiders had been counting on Gallup to fight for the No. 3 receiver role alongside Davante Adams and emerging star Jacoby Meyers.
Now, Tre Tucker might be thrust into that role in his second NFL season since being chosen by the Raiders in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Tucker caught 19 passes for 331 yards and a pair of touchdowns during his rookie campaign.
However, if the Raiders are looking to maintain the veteran presence they had been counting on Gallup to provide, the franchise could reunite with Hunter Renfrow who remains a free agent.
Renfrow caught 25 passes for 255 yards for the Raiders last season.
Regardless of where Las Vegas goes from here, the Raiders’ receiving corps is in a bit of a state of flux after Gallup’s sudden departure.
