The Dallas Cowboys‘ 2023 NFL season did not end the way they had hoped. Despite winning the NFC East and 12 regular season games, they were dominated by Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers‘ offense. While they did put up 32 points in the loss, almost half of them came in garbage time.
A big reason why the offense struggled was the lack of production in the running game. While starting running back Tony Pollard had over 1,000 yards for the second year in a row (1,005), he averaged just 4.0 yards per carry.
Tony Pollard Was Not as Productive as the Dallas Cowboys Hoped He Would Be
As mentioned previous, Pollard only averaged 4.0 yards per carry in 2023. This was the lowest mark of his career. Last season, when he rushed for 1,007 yards (on 193 carries), he averaged 5.2 yards per carry. The hope was that an increased workload would lead to even more production, but he had two less rushing yards in 2023 than he did in 2022 despite having 59 more carries.
Pollard’s decrease in production was not limited to the run game either. In 2022, he had 39 receptions for 371 yards and three touchdowns in the passing game. Last season, he had 55 receptions for 311 yards and no touchdowns. So, despite having more 16 more receptions, he had 60 less receiving yards and three fewer touchdowns.
The Dallas Cowboys Will Not Use the Franchise Tag on Running Back Tony Pollard
This year, the franchise tag price for running backs like Pollard was set at $12,109,200. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Cowboys have announced that they will not use the franchise tag on Pollard. Of course, this means that he will be a free agent.
Given the fact that he will not be tagged, it is hard to see Pollard making that much on the open market. In fact, he may not even be signed to be a premier back. Given his low yards per carry in 2023, a team that signs him may view him as a change-of-pace back behind a different featured starter.
Then again, he was a Pro Bowler in 2022 and may just need a change of scenery. Time will tell, but this move is definitely best for both Pollard and the Cowboys.
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