What was widely expected has now become official. The Dallas Cowboys have placed the franchise tag on Tony Pollard, locking in their backup running back for $10.09 million in 2023. While this move ensures the Cowboys won’t lose Pollard to free agency, they still need to work out a long-term extension with their change-of-pace back to keep him around into 2024.
Yet, the Cowboys may prefer to slow-play this situation, having Pollard prove his worth for one more season while deciding whether to move forward with Ezekiel Elliott or Pollard as the team’s eventual starter. Elliott, whose skills have continued to diminish in recent years, had 38 more carries than Pollard in 2022, yet came away with 131 fewer yards, as Pollard earned the first Pro Bowl nod of his career.
- Tony Pollard stats last season: 193 attempts, 1,007 rushing yards, 9 TDs
The Cowboys could move on from Zeke fairly smoothly by designating the 27-year-old as a post-June-1 cap casualty, offering $10.9 million in cap savings, but Jerry Jones reportedly wants the former All-Pro tailback to return in 2023.
While the Cowboys may have some big roster decisions to make later down the line, for now, both Pollard and Elliott seem poised to handle the bulk of the workload in the Dallas backfield, one that’s expected to lean on the running game much more often with coach Mike McCarthy now calling plays instead of Kellen Moore.
Pollard, 25, was set to be one of the top free agent running backs this offseason, but few expected the Cowboys to ever let their talented multi-purpose back reach the open seas. At least not this year.
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