1,000-yard starter and former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup is linked to rumor that he may land with AFC Team Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason. According to Pro Football Network’s Dallas Robinson, he names the Steelers as the best fit for Gallup in this year’s free agency. Pittsburgh still has a hole to fill at WR No. 2 after trading Diontae Johnson at the beginning of the new league year. The wide receiver is running slime although the buzz of Stefon Diggs being traded to Houston has affected the market value for playmakers.
However, if the Steelers want an immediate solution then they could add Gallup until they figure out who they want in this year’s draft. Anyone who the Steelers pick up probably needs a year or two until they can be a reliable target for new quarterback Russell Wilson. There is much buzz in Pittsburgh after trading for Justin Fields and signing Wilson on a one-year deal. However, the Steelers have been stacking on adding wideout talent in this year’s free agency.
Gallup would provide the offense with a perimeter receiver that can be similar to Johnson’s size. He will likely become the No. 2 receiver so they avoid drafting an early-round WR. However, Gallup hasn’t been the same player he was in 2019 after his 1,000-yard campaign. He has a long track record of struggling with injuries since 2022 after tearing his ACL.
The good news is that Gallup could wipe off the dust with a new team and get back to the player he was. However, he isn’t in his prime of any sort but catching darts from Wilson should give the team an interesting quarterback competition.
1,000-Yard Starter Michael Gallup Linked to AFC Team Pittsburgh Steelers
He Could Add an Immediate Boost
Although Gallup isn’t the same player, he still would be the second-best next to George Pickens. None of the other Steelers receivers has posted more than 400 receiving yards like Gallup did. This was that Gallup was barely getting any playing time since most of the balls went to CeeDee Lamb or Jake Ferguson in Dallas. However, head coach Mike Tomlin getting Wilson in the mix to throw down the field to Gallup consistently should find themselves in the end zone.
In all games with the Cowboys, Gallup has notched 266 catches for 3,744 yards and posted 21 touchdowns averaging 14.1 yards per reception. The Steelers are active on the receiver market after signing Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins. However, it seems the team is adding them for depth since both are still unproven to be a reliable No. 2 receiver. Both receivers only combined 331 receiving yards during the 2023 campaign so they aren’t ready to be starters.
According to a report, there have been some suggestions that the additions of Watkins and Jefferson may not be on the final roster. If that’s the case, Gallup landing with the Steelers makes sense for both sides.
Other Potential Wide Receivers
Some sources have linked the Steelers to the Cincinnati Bengals wideout Tyler Boyd. However, it seems unlikely that the Bengals will deal Boyd to their rival. What makes more sense is adding Gallup or Odell Beckham Jr. who are both free agents. Beckham is another low-cost veteran since he isn’t in his prime anymore.
The Steelers don’t have a lot of spending money for someone like Boyd so adding Beckham wouldn’t be the worst thing. He still put in a decent 2023 season with the Ravens before being released.