The NFL is drowning in bad news on Monday following its Week 2 slate of games, with top quarterbacks like Drew Brees likely out for six weeks or more with a torn ligament in his thumb, and Ben Roethlisberger officially done for the season with an injured elbow suffered on Sunday as well. The Dallas Cowboys were hoping to dodge this wave of dread, however, following their impressive 31-21 win over the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field.
One of the healthier teams in the league at the moment, the Cowboys did see starting nose tackle Antwaun Woods leave with an apparent knee injury and not return to the game on Sunday, and wide receiver Michael Gallup was set to join him in undergoing tests on Monday to determine the nature of his own knee ailment -- suffered after taking a helmet to the knee on a catch-and-run. Believed initially to be a knee contusion of a determined severity, test results show Gallup will instead require arthroscopic surgery -- per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network -- that could sideline him for nearly a month.
It's not the worst possible news the team could've gotten, but it's definitely not the best, either.
Sources: #Cowboys promising WR Michael Gallup is having arthroscopic surgery to trim his meniscus, knocking him out 2-4 weeks. No structural damage besides the meniscus tear, so the return should be quick.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 16, 2019
A source with knowledge of the situation confirms this report to me, and this will test the depth of the Cowboys wide receiver corps over the next several weeks, if Gallup is indeed out for this length of time.
The injury to Woods is believed to be an MCL sprain, a source tells me, but the team is hopeful it's a mild one, and he likely dodged more severe injury when Maliek Collins rolled into his leg by turning it at the last moment to allow his knee to bend. Woods has been a force since signing with the Cowboys in 2018, ascending from the ranks of a "camp body" to take ownership of the starting role at 1-tech (left of center) in fairly short order. His ability to both stuff the run and penetrate the backfield to disrupt pass plays makes him integral in the Cowboys plan to pressure the opposing quarterback and harass any halfback they line up against, so it stands to reason they'd be holding their breath while they await the results of his MRI.
Taking it for what it's worth, Woods declared he was "fine" following the game, and did return to the sidelines not long after heading to the locker room. He was never officially ruled out, but simply questionable -- despite ultimately not returning to the field.
Gallup also seemed to be OK following the game, hence the Cowboys initial optimism. Of course, as has been the case in the past, further tests ultimately became the bearer of bad news. It's possible Gallup could return as soon as soon as Week 5 against the Green Bay Packers, with the worst-case scenario being a longer absence and a return in Week 7 when the Cowboys take on the rival Philadelphia Eagles for the first time this season.
The team has a Week 8 bye, and although it's not expected that additional rest will need to be factored in with Gallup's injury, it's something to keep an eye on.
Gallup's presence in the receiving corps carries massive value, particularly with how he's fired out of the gate in 2019 with a career-best 158-yard performance against the New York Giants in Week 1. A definitive No. 2 target that often doubles as a quasi-No. 1 alongside a now-healthy Amari Cooper -- who was sidelined for the majority of August with plantar fasciitis -- a healthy Gallup goes a long way in ensuring the Cowboys' potent WR corps remains that way.
They'll have to do without him for now, though.
