ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 04: Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard (20) carries the ball during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Indianapolis Colts on December 4, 2022 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, TX. (Photo by George Walker/Icon Sportswire)
Explosive Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard will enter the offseason rehabbing an injury he sustained during the Cowboys 19-12 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night. During the loss, Pollard suffered a fractured left fibula and a high ankle sprain and needed to be carted off the field into the locker room. He is expected to undergo surgery for his injuries and begin the three to four month healing process as quickly as possible in order to be healthy by the time training camp begins for the 2023 season.
Prior to his injury, Pollard was in the midst of a breakout campaign for the Cowboys. Over the course of the 2022-23 season, Pollard racked up 1007 rushing yards on 193 attempts, resulting in 9 touchdowns and an impressive 5.2 yards per carry. Pollard is also a talented receiving back, and added another 39 receptions for 371 yards and three touchdowns through the air. What makes these statistics even more noteworthy is the fact that Pollard split snaps at the running back position with longtime Cowboy Ezekiel Elliot despite the fact that Pollard oftentimes appeared far more dynamic. When compared, Pollard rushed for 131 more yards than Elliot on 38 fewer rushing attempts while finishing with 22 more receptions and 279 more yards receiving.
This injury is particularly poorly timed for Pollard, who was playing in a contract year and will be a free agent moving into the 2023 NFL season. Before his injury, there were reports that Dallas had considered using their franchise tag on Pollard. The Franchise Tag for running backs for the upcoming offseason is expected to be valued at around $10 million, which would be a considerable increase in pay for Pollard, who was previously signed to a four year $3,187,780 contract. However, after suffering a serious injury that requires offseason surgery, the path forward for Dallas’s backfield is now unclear.
Jerry Jones and Cowboys management have repeatedly insisted that they value Ezekiel Elliot as the team’s lead back, but Pollard's breakout 2022-23 campaign (one that earned him a Pro Bowl nod) was undeniable. If the Cowboys want to keep both Pollard and Elliot, either through a multi- year extension with Pollard or use of the Franchise Tag, it will be an extremely costly endeavor, and one that may leave the team with a clouded dynamic in the backfield.
If the Cowboys do elect to move on from Elliot, he could become a big name trade candidate during the offseason, but for now, the Cowboys have plenty of time to mull over their options.
