Star running back Tony Pollard of the Dallas Cowboys had a somewhat disappointing season, but Micah Parsons of the team still thinks he should get another opportunity.
It would be an understatement to say that Tony Pollard’s debut season as the feature back for the Dallas Cowboys didn’t go as planned.
At first sight, Pollard’s stats appear to be good; he gained 311 yards as a receiver in addition to 1,005 yards of rushes. Still, this season has seen a significant drop in his efficiency from last. He saw a decline in yards per carry to barely four in 2023 from 5.2 in 2022, and a decline in yards per reception to 5.7 from 9.5 the previous season.
Following “TP’s” franchise tag and a dismal season, the Cowboys must now choose whether to re-sign Pollard or let him to walk free agency in the hopes of signing an improved player for the position.
Another one-year tag is, presumably, out of the question. Pollard was acquired by Dallas for $10 million a year ago; this time, the tag window opens on February 20 and teams have 15 days to make a decision.
Right now, the running back tag is $14 million. That is most definitely not the case here, although…
Even after a difficult 2023, Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons believes Pollard deserves another opportunity.
Parsons stated on The Stephen A. Smith Show that “I would say toward the end of the season Tony Pollard was catching his rhythm again.” He seems like an every-down person to me. You have to consider the fact that he suffered a severe injury when he fractured his fibula or tibia. You’re talking about a player that hasn’t really played much since January, but he returned in Week 1.
Re-engaging in football takes time. He was not an OTA. He was not a minicamper. He returned to camp after working through it in a somewhat similar way. He even seemed to say, “I’m just now getting back to myself,” as you observed him grow. I would try again with Tony Pollard.
As Pollard broke his fibula during the previous year’s playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers, he was in fact facing an uphill struggle for the whole of the season. Particularly in the early going, the consequences of that accident and the surgery that followed were evident.
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