Cowboys Tony Pollard To Depart For NFC East Rival In NFL Free Agency?

Star Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard is set to leave the franchise after spending his first five seasons in Dallas this offseason. The Cowboys exercised their franchise tag on the running back last season after his breakout 2022 season.

Pollard was a bit of disappointment this season, netting just 1,005 yards, and 6 touchdowns in his first year as a featured back. The 26-year-old star had more rushing yards, receiving yards, and touchdowns in a shared backfield with Ezekiel Elliott in 2022.

It should be noted that Pollard suffered a catastrophic injury in the Divisional round of the 2022 NFL playoff against the San Francisco 49ers. The running back suffered a fractured fibula, requiring an entire offseason to recover.

Pollard’s yards-per-carry dipped to just 4.0 this season, down from 5.2 in 2022. Pollard raked in $10 million last season, and is expected to garner serious attention in free agency.

NFC East Rival Poaching Pollard?

The main team set to pursue Pollard in the upcoming NFL free agency period is the team now coached by Dallas’ former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, and one of the Dallas Cowboys main division rivals in the NFC East… The Washington Commanders.

Cowboys star Micah Parsons defended Pollard in a recent interview, saying that he believes that the running back is an ‘every down’ kind of back, and that he believes that the Cowboys should give Pollard another chance in Dallas. Parsons said,

“I do think he’s an every-down guy. You’ve got to think, he broke his fibula, tibia, something, that’s a catastrophic injury. You’re talking about a guy that’s really been off from that January, came back Week 1 but he didn’t really do a lot. It takes a while to get back into football. He didn’t do OTAs. He didn’t do minicamp. He kind of did camp a little bit like working through it, getting back into it. You saw him increase, like he even said, ‘I’m just now getting back to myself.’ I would give Tony Pollard another shot.””I do think he’s an every-down guy. You’ve got to think, he broke his fibula, tibia, something, that’s a catastrophic injury. You’re talking about a guy that’s really been off from that January, came back Week 1 but he didn’t really do a lot. It takes a while to get back into football. He didn’t do OTAs. He didn’t do minicamp. He kind of did camp a little bit like working through it, getting back into it. You saw him increase, like he even said, ‘I’m just now getting back to myself.’ I would give Tony Pollard another shot.”

Micah parsons on tony pollard

Tony Pollard suffered a terrible injury in 2022, therefore, we should not judge his 2023 season too harshly, however, at his current price, it just doesn’t work for the Cowboys. Dallas will most likely draft a running back.

Let us know what you think in the comment section! Will Pollard leave for Washington? Will the Cowboys draft a running back?

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