Cowboys ‘Highly Likely’ to Move on From $10 Million Star, Says Insider

The Dallas Cowboys did not come to an agreement on a contract extension with Tony Pollard, and one team insider believes it is an ominous sign of the playmaker’s future in Big D. Pollard will officially play on the $10 million franchise tag this season and is slated to be a free agent in 2024.

ESPN’s Todd Archer believes the lack of a new deal makes it “highly likely” that Pollard is heading into his final season in Dallas. The Cowboys orchestrated this same strategy with tight end Dalton Schultz who played on the franchise tag in 2022, and the team let walk in free agency. Schultz failed to land a lucrative payday inking a one-year, $6.2 million deal with the Texans.

“It’s highly likely this will be Pollard’s final season with the Cowboys — and it would have little to do with Pollard and everything else to do with the Cowboys dealing with their salary cap in 2024 and beyond,” Archer wrote on July 18, 2023. “A similar story played out last year.

“In 2022, the Cowboys put the franchise tag on tight end Dalton Schultz. They were unable to come to an agreement on a long-term deal, so Schultz played out the season. And this offseason, he signed with the Houston Texans, leading the Cowboys to draft Luke Schoonmaker in the second round to pair with Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot.”

Dallas Cowboys Playmaker Tony Pollard Will Likely Hit Free Agency in 2024

Let’s take a brief look at the Cowboys recent offseason activity to understand what the future might hold for Pollard. Dallas used the franchise tag on Pollard on March 6 which assured the team that the running back would be wearing a star again for 2023. A little more than a week later the Cowboys released Ezekiel Elliott which freed Dallas from the four remaining seasons on the star’s $90 million contract.

The Cowboys now faced a second deadline of July 17 to get a new contract done with Pollard before the franchise tag became cemented. There was some buzz the team was willing to talk about a long-term deal, but the reality is there was little advantage for Dallas to ink the Pro Bowler to a new contract.

There Was Little Advantage for the Dallas Cowboys to Sign Tony Pollard to Contract Extension

Pollard is coming off a fractured fibula and the team remains optimistic that there will be no lingering effects of the injury in 2023. Yet, there are also no guarantees that Pollard will not sustain a setback, and the overall price of running backs appears to only be going down in each subsequent offseason.

Star running backs like Austin Ekeler and Saquon Barkley have taken to social media to voice their displeasure but few have offered a clear solution. While there remains clear stars at the position, NFL teams have largely found that offenses can have success with late-round running backs and are unafraid to move on to another more affordable rusher on a rookie deal when veterans’ contracts are coming to a close.

Ezekiel Elliott’s Previous $90 Million Contract Could Prevent Tony Pollard From Landing a New Deal in 2024

It is reasonable to wonder whether the Cowboys’ buyer’s remorse over Elliott will prompt Dallas to move on from Pollard in 2024. Under this scenario, the Cowboys could land their next starter in the 2024 draft unless Deuce Vaughn emerges this season as a potential replacement option.

“Since Ezekiel Elliott’s contract extension in 2019, the Cowboys have perennially sat atop the NFL in cash and/or cap spending at the running back position,” The Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken posted on Threads in a July 17 message. “No club devoted more of its cap toward RB in 2022 than the Cowboys ($19.8M, per @spotrac).

“Not the preferred resource distribution with a QB on non-rookie contract and high-priced OL. Light at end of the tunnel: As of now, the Cowboys have zero guaranteed money or dead cap tied to any RB in 2025. Big deal for their books.”