Given his 2022 performance, the Cowboys should give pending free agent Tony Pollard a payday.
Pollard, nominated to his first Pro Bowl on Wednesday, burst onto the scene this season, rushing for 969 rushing yards in 14 games, eighth in the league.
The breakout campaign reactivated a dynamic element in the Dallas offense.
During Weeks 1-6, Pollard never reached 15 carries, and Dallas didn’t score 30 or more points once. In Weeks 7-15, Pollard averaged around 15 carries per game, and Dallas reached the 30-point mark in four of its eight games.
He’s a difference-maker the Cowboys need to secure, despite aversions in the NFL to paying running backs top dollar.
“Everyone knows the rules at this point, but backs routinely get held up as the exception to the overwhelming evidence that these contracts don’t work out,” wrote ESPN’s Bill Barnwell.
While it is important to note that contract extensions like Alvin Kamara’s with the Saints fell flat, it’s also important to remember there are exceptions to the rule.
Kamara had 672 rushing attempts in his first four seasons. Pollard only has 494 rushing attempts in four seasons, so the 25-year-old, who’s had no severe injuries, is still fresh.
If his 2022 season is any indication, Pollard is a player Dallas should lock up.
