Cowboys will reportedly bring back RB Tony Pollard on franchise tag if new deal is not reached

The Dallas Cowboys seem adamant about bringing back their star running back, who served as a catalyst for the offense all year, this offseason. According to reports, the Cowboys will place the franchise tag on Tony Pollard if they cannot reach an agreement on a new contract by Tuesday.

Pollard would be set to make $10.1 million next season under the tag if he were to sign. It has not yet been reported whether or not Pollard would play under the tag or hold out for a long-term extension.

Since the start of the offseason, the Cowboys have been clear about their desire to bring Pollard back under whatever circumstances. However, bringing back Pollard will almost certainly spell change in the Cowboys’ running back room.

With Pollard almost inevitably returning, the questions regarding veteran running back Ezekiel Elliott will now intensify. The Cowboys have said on numerous occasions that they would like to bring Zeke back, but not under his current contract terms. Zeke is set to count for $16.7 million against the cap next season as one of the highest paid runners in all of football. It would be unreasonable for Dallas to carry two backs making eight-figure salaries.

Pollard, 25, averaged 5.2 yards per carry last season with 1,007 rushing yards on 193 carries to go along with nine touchdowns. Pollard’s production and explosiveness have made him the favorite in the Cowboys’ backfield dating back to the middle of last season, where Zeke was mostly limited to short-yardage situations and passing downs as a blocker.

Pollard was drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Memphis. The star back has progressively gotten better over his four years with the Cowboys, this year being his first eclipsing over 1,000 rushing yards. Pollard has started just six games in his career despite playing near-full seasons all four years. This move looks like the Cowboys could finally be ready to move on from Zeke Elliott and commit to more explosiveness at the position.