Cowboys May Surprise Everyone by Adding $12.4 Million to a Disappointing Star: PFF

Cowboys May Surprise Everyone by Adding $12.4 Million to a Disappointing Star: PFF

With the loss of star running back Ezekiel Elliott and the subsequent transfer of control over the running game, Tony Pollard of the Cowboys did not have the season he had hoped for. Pollard completed 252 carries for 1,005 yards, good for 12th place in the NFL and just two yards less than last year’s total of 1,007 yards. His 4.0 yards per carry average was far lower than his 5.2 yards per rush average from the previous year.

This has given rise to rumors that Pollard’s stay in Dallas is coming to an end. After playing on a franchise tag last season—a one-year contract worth $10.1 million that is determined by a formula provided by the league—he is a free agent this offseason. According to OverTheCap.com, he was one of just eight running backs who earned eight-figure wages in 2017.

The expectation is that the franchise tag was a one-year test period and because it did not go particularly well, the Cowboys will let Pollard walk this offseason. But Pro Football Focus sees a potentially different outcome for Pollard: another franchise tag.

The cowboys Tony Pollard’s Market Value Is Between $6.5 and $8 Million.

Pollard could sign a second franchise tag agreement with the Cowboys, but that would be the last time they could do so before needing to give him a contract. According to OverTheCap.com and Spotrac, that amount is projected to be $12.4 million and $11.3 million, respectively.

Placing the franchise tag on Pollard this season would be agreeing to overpay him by $3–$6 million, given that Spotrac values his market value at $6.5 million annually and PFF projects his contract, if he is not franchised, at three years and $24 million, or $8 million annually.

In a post examining “possible franchise tag candidates this offseason,” PFF outlined the reasons it believes are justified for tagging Pollard and retaining him in Dallas:

Pollard was signed by the Cowboys in the 2023 offseason, but his output did not justify the cost. Pollard played in all 17 games, although he only managed 4.0 yards per rush. Although it would be costly for the Cowboys to tag him once more, there’s a chance he may improve in 2024 having recovered from his leg injury sustained during the 2022 postseason.

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