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Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
FRISCO, Texas — It’s not a surprise the Dallas Cowboys and running back Tony Pollard were unable to strike a deal on a long-term contract by Monday’s deadline for franchise-tagged players.
When the Cowboys made the decision in March, and Pollard signed the $10.091 million tag soon after, this always appeared to be the most likely destination.
Why? The Cowboys are just coming out of paying Ezekiel Elliott a $90 million extension that included $50 million guaranteed. Elliott will still count $5.82 million this season and $6 million next year against the cap. They were not going to pay huge money for another running back.
And Pollard, who had a Pro Bowl season in 2022, paid the price for being a running back in a time when the running back market is drying up.
So what now?
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.
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.
If Pollard leads the league in rushing, is dynamic out of the backfield and scores a ton of touchdowns, maybe they put the franchise tag on him one more time at a cost of $12 million, but that probably will be contingent on what happens with Trevon Diggs or Terence Steele over the next few weeks and months.
If the Cowboys are able to sign Diggs, their Pro Bowl cornerback, or Steele, their starting right tackle (at least at the moment) to extensions during training camp or during the 2023-24 regular season, then they would have a franchise tag available for Pollard. Without a deal for Diggs or Steele, the Cowboys probably are looking at using the franchise tag on either one of them because there is more value to their positions.
Teams have only one franchise tag to use each year. CeeDee Lamb does not factor into the equation because the Cowboys put the $17.99 million fifth-year option on him for 2024, although they would like to sign him to a multi-year deal as soon as possible.
For future reference, Dak Prescott is signed through 2024 and there is a clause in his contract that forbids the Cowboys from putting the tag on him in 2025. And Micah Parsons is eligible to sign a long-term extension for the first time after this season. At the very least, the Cowboys will put the fifth-year option on him for 2025 to at least buy themselves time.
The Cowboys hope to use training camp to sign Lamb, Diggs and Steele, while also potentially looking at a deal for center Tyler Biadasz. It’s how they used to conduct business years ago with players approaching their final years under contract.
Pollard is paying the sins of his position, not his production. Fellow franchise-tagged running backs Saquon Barkley (New York Giants) and Josh Jacobs (Las Vegas Raiders) did not sign multiyear agreements either, but the difference is neither of them signed the tender offer, like Pollard. He will earn roughly $6 million more this season than he did in each of his first four years combined as a 2019 fourth-round pick.
He is just 26 and does not have a ton of wear and tear based on how the Cowboys used him behind Elliott in his first three years. Last season, he ran for 1,007 yards and scored nine rushing touchdowns. He added three more touchdowns receiving, while catching 39 passes for 371 yards.
There is no concern about the health of his surgically repaired ankle that he injured in the January playoff loss to San Francisco. Once camp opens next week in Oxnard, California, he should be a full participant.
With Ronald Jones, Malik Davis, Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn behind him, Pollard could top the career-high 193 carries he had last season.
But even if he produces at a higher level, it will not guarantee him a large contract from the Cowboys. It might not even get him a huge contract from another team.
It’s just the position he plays, and the other decisions the Cowboys will have to make regarding their future salary cap.