The Cowboys are set to retain Tony Pollard for at least one more season as the club intends to franchise tag the Pro Bowl running back in the coming days, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Friday.
Dallas will reportedly use its tag on Pollard, who’s currently recovering from surgery on his fractured left fibula, in order to keep him under contract through the 2023 season in the event the two sides are unable to work out a long-term deal by Tuesday’s deadline. Should the long-speculated move come to fruition, the 25-year-old back would enter next season playing on a one-year, $10.091 million contract–the standard deal for all running backs who receive the franchise tag this offseason.
Friday’s news signals the Cowboys’ continued desire to keep the explosive Pollard in town on the heels of a career season for the 2019 fourth-round pick. After sliding into an expanded role under second-year coach Mike McCarthy, Pollard exploded for his first 1,000-yard season, notching 1,007 rushing yards and nine touchdowns to go with 327 receiving yards and another three scores.
The dynamic performance helped Pollard earn his first Pro Bowl nod while firmly positioning him as the clear heir apparent to Ezekiel Elliott, who took more of a back seat behind the fourth-year pro. Dallas followed its 12–5 campaign with a wild-card round win over the Buccaneers before falling to the 49ers in the divisional round, where Pollard went down with his injury in the second quarter.
For his career, Pollard has accumulated 2,616 rushing yards, 1,008 receiving yards and 22 total touchdowns.
