National Football League

Why Cowboys RB Tony Pollard is ready for the spotlight

Published Jul. 12, 2023 5:25 p.m. ET

For starters, a big thank you to Tony Pollard.

Being franchise tagged is often met with contention, especially at a position with as short a shelf life as running back. Ask Saquon Barkley and the New York Giants or Josh Jacobs and the Las Vegas Raiders about it.

It hasn’t been the case in Dallas. Pollard signed his contract within a month of being tagged, ensuring himself a $10.09 million payday and removing the drama of next week’s franchise-tag deadline. He and the Cowboys could still agree on a long-term extension before the July 17 deadline to do so. It might even be smart, as it would lower Pollard’s salary cap figure and create extra space to sign other deals.

But with the tag signed and Pollard’s services locked in for 2023, there’s not much in the way of outside incentive to get it done.

Fortunately for Pollard, this situation works out better for him than most. As pick No. 128 in the 2019 NFL Draft, a $10.09 million contract doesn’t cramp him financially as much as it could. Perhaps he could have beaten that figure in free agency, but the current state of the running-back market makes that no guarantee. Not to mention, his guaranteed salary in 2023 is almost triple his career earnings to this point.

Even so, there’s plenty on the line for Pollard in his fifth NFL season, and he’s primed for a sizable deal.

Time for Cowboys to start Tony Pollard over Ezekiel Elliott?

Some of that is easy math. Pollard’s main competition for touches, Ezekiel Elliott, is no longer on the roster, and the Cowboys’ front office didn’t do a ton to offset that loss. That’s not intended as a slight at any of Pollard’s backups. The fact is that the trio of Ronald Jones, Malik Davis and Deuce Vaughn combined for 55 NFL carries last season.

Even with those guys assuming viable roles in the offense, the table is set for Pollard to be a true bellcow runner for the first time in his career — a fact he alluded to in the spring.

"We've got a great stable of backs here, but it does feel good when they look at you personally as the lead back in the room," Pollard told DallasCowboys.com. "I'm just grateful for the opportunity and I'm ready to make the most of it."

It honestly shouldn’t be that hard to do.

Long positioned as Elliott’s change-of-pace substitute, Pollard has really only seen his role expand in the last two seasons. His 193 carries last fall easily set a career high, helping him to his first 1,000-yard season and his first Pro Bowl bid. And yet, the math still only amounts to about 12 carries per game. Even if the Cowboys’ coaching staff is worried about lessening Pollard’s explosiveness, he’ll significantly bump his tally with at least three to four more carries per outing.

Speaking of coaching, it’ll be fun to see how Mike McCarthy’s assumption of play-calling duties will affect Pollard. Aside from McCarthy’s infamous "run the damn ball" comments from March, there’s also a lot of talk about the supposed Texas Coast offense and how his tendencies will change ball distribution.

Pollard’s role as a receiver has improved every year of his career. His 39 catches in 2022 tied a career best and he put together three different games with 50 or more receiving yards — the first time in his career he’s ever done that more than once.

Ironically, it was the first time in Kellen Moore’s tenure as offensive coordinator that running-back production dipped in the passing game. Across his first three seasons calling the Cowboys’ offense, his quarterbacks targeted backs an average of 107 a year. That number dipped by 26% in 2022.

Maybe that can be partly attributed to Elliott’s dips in production, but the point remains that Pollard has averaged more yards per catch in each year of his career. Of his 39 catches, 13 of them — roughly a third — went for 10 or more yards. His longs for the season went for 68, 46, 30 and 19 yards.

This is the type of ability a smart play caller would do well to highlight in addition to Pollard's chops as a runner.

There shouldn’t be much question about whether he can handle it. Thanks to Elliott’s presence in the offense, Pollard has just 663 career touches across four NFL seasons — an average of just six for every game he’s played. For context, Elliott had 645 touches by the end of his second season, which was abbreviated by a six-game suspension.

It doesn’t sound as if Pollard’s injury should be of concern, either. He broke his fibula and sprained his ankle during a grisly tackle in the playoff loss to San Francisco, but stated as recently as June that he’ll be ready for the start of camp.

It’s a big opportunity and a straightforward game plan. If the Cowboys can take advantage of what Pollard brings to the table, he shouldn’t have to worry much about contract offers when March rolls around.

David Helman covers the Dallas Cowboys for FOX Sports. He previously spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team’s official website. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing "Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion" about the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter at @davidhelman_.

FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience