Cowboys Rumor: Before NFL FA Draft, Tony Pollard isn’t expected to receive a $12.1 million franchise tag
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, running back Tony Pollard is poised to hit free agency without receiving a franchise tag from the Dallas Cowboys.
The estimated value of the tag is $12.1 million. Pollard was on a $10.1 million franchise tag for the 2023 season; but, it doesn’t seem like the Dallas front management is willing to give him another one.
During his 2023 campaign, he saw 17 starts and finished with 1,005 yards and 6 touchdowns on 252 carries.
Pollard had a lackluster season even though he was able to cross the 1,000-yard mark. The 26-year-old, who split time in the backfield with Ezekiel Elliott in 2022, amassed 1,007 yards in 16 outings with just four starts. Many had high hopes for Pollard’s 2023 season when Dallas cut Elliott during the offseason.
But a return to the Cowboys is not completely out of the question. However, his colleagues have expressed openly that they would like him to return in free agency.
All-Pro pass-rusher Myles Garrett stated, “I would say toward the end of the season Tony Pollard was catching his rhythm again,” during an appearance on The Stephen A. Smith Show on February 17 (h/t Bobby Kownack of NFL.com). He seems like an every-down person to me. You have to consider the fact that he suffered a severe injury when he fractured his fibula or tibia. You’re talking about a player that hasn’t really played much since January, but he returned in Week 1.
Pollard will turn 27 when training camps start in the summer, so his age may possibly play a role in his impending free agency. Teams have been reluctant to give running backs long-term contracts that extend into their age-30 season in recent years.
