The Dallas Cowboys offense was on a record-setting pace before Dak Prescott went down with an injury in Week 5, discombobulating the entire operation.
The Cowboys return those same weapons that averaged 32.6 points in games Prescott played last year. Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup represent one of the top trios in the NFL. Ezekiel Elliott remains a workhorse. Explosive back Tony Pollard could be in line for a larger snap-share. And an offensive line riddled by injuries is getting critical players back healthy.
Joining NFL Network'sGood Morning Football on Monday, Gallup said the Cowboys offense could be unstoppable in 2021.
"I think the sky's the limit for us," he said. "We said that last year. Obviously, we had some injuries on the team and stuff like that. We're already running out the gate right now, it's just OTAs. I think we can explode. We can do what we need to do out here on the field and just kill it. I don't see anybody stopping us."
The key to picking up where they left off is Prescott returning from a devastating injury. By all accounts, the 27-year-old QB is back to normal.
"Dak looks like the same old Dak, ready to get out there, ready to be a leader," Gallup said. "He just has that little thing to him. Every time you see him, you just want to make sure you're doing everything right for him. He's a great dude on and off the field, coming out here after his injury, after his contract. He's the same old dude. Ain't nothing changed about him except he just wants to play now. Props to him. Everything he's done, he's earned. Just an amazing player."
A big-play threat, Gallup is coming off a 59-catch, 843-yard season in 2020, down from his 1,107-yard 2019 as Lamb took away some of his targets. The Cowboys' No. 3 option, Gallup remains an underrated playmaker who can win at all three levels when given the opportunity.
The former third-round pick is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Given the amount the Cowboys have invested in Cooper and eventually in paying to retain Lamb, it seems unlikely Dallas could afford Gallup. The 25-year-old would be a coveted receiver in free agency next offseason.
"You're obviously going to think about it, but you can't really do anything about it except go out on the field and do what you're supposed to do," Gallup said of playing out the final year of his deal. "You're not going to get that contract if you don't do what you're supposed to on the field first. I think, one thing to think about, you can't talk anything into the future. You've just got to do what you're supposed to do right now. For me, it's just going out there helping this club win ball games, have fun doing it. Obviously, I'd love to stay here, love to be in Dallas, love the community, love the city, love the fans, so it's up in the air, but I want to be right here. So we'll see."
When Lamb fell to the Cowboys in the 2020 draft, it signaled that Gallup's days in Dallas were likely numbered. Before he hits the open market, the wideout hopes to be part of an overpowering, historic Cowboys offense.
