Raiders' Tom Telesco: Michael Gallup's NFL Retirement 'Came Up Out of the Blue'

Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco was surprised by the retirement of wide receiver Michael Gallup.

"I didn't see that one coming at all," Telesco admitted on Thursday, per Tashan Reed of The Athletic (h/t NFL.com's Grant Gordon). "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."

On Tuesday, the Raiders announced that they were placing Gallup on the reserve/retired list.

The 28-year-old spent the first six seasons of his career with the Dallas Cowboys before he was released by the team with a post-June 1 designation. After visiting with the Carolina Panthers, Gallup eventually signed a one-year deal worth $3 million to join Las Vegas on April 29.

The former third-round pick got off to a hot start in Dallas, hauling in 66 catches for 1,107 yards and six touchdowns during his second season in 2019. However, his production declined as he started to fall down the Cowboys' depth chart before suffering a torn ACL in Jan. 2022.

In 2023, Gallup racked up 34 receptions on a career-low 57 targets for 418 yards and two scores. He was initially expected to provide some depth to a Raiders passing attack headlined by Davante Adams and tight end Brock Bowers.

Instead, Telesco may look to acquire another receiver ahead of the 2024 regular season following Gallup's unexpected retirement.