Dallas Cowboys star edge rusher Micah Parsons has not been shy when it comes to sharing his opinion on how things could go for his team. He speaks his mind freely and offers suggestions on how the roster could be improved to help Dallas get over the hump.
At this point, Jerry Jones should be willing to take advice from anyone on how to improve his Cowboys. They haven’t appeared in an NFC Championship Game since they won the Super Bowl in the 1995 season as playoff success has been unattainable.
During his appearance at NBA All-Star Weekend, Parsons once again offered some insight on what the Cowboys need to address. One of the topics of discussion was running back Tony Pollard, who is set to hit free agency for the second straight year.
NFL News & Rumors: Micah Parsons, Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys Updates
Pollard had a breakout 2022 campaign as the change-of-pace back to Ezekiel Elliott. But, he struggled in 2023 as the lead player in the backfield as all of his numbers took a hit. Alas, Parsons is confident in Pollard and is hoping the Cowboys run it back with him in 2024.
“I would say toward the end of the season Tony Pollard was catching his rhythm again,” Parsons said on The Stephen A. Smith Show. “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.”
During Dallas’ Divisional Round matchup with the San Francisco 49ers in January of 2023, Pollard suffered a gruesome lower leg injury. He fractured his fibula and it is fair to wonder if that had an impact on his production, or lack thereof, during the 2023 season.
In 2023, Pollard played out the campaign on the franchise tag. It is hard to envision the Cowboys using the tag for a second consecutive season, especially since his market will be smaller than it was last year. His production combined with the shrinking running back market is not a recipe to getting paid.
NFL News & Rumors: Micah Parsons, Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys Updates
Still, Pollard has rushed for 1,000+ yards in back-to-back seasons and is a true dual threat out of the backfield. His efficiency dropped in 2023, but that could have also been a product of the Cowboys’ offensive line not being as dominant in years past.
Figuring out a contract number for running backs is difficult these days with teams devaluing the position around the league. But, with no options in-house to replace him, the Cowboys should look to work out some kind of deal to bring Pollard back for at least the 2024 campaign.
Want the latest NFL and NCAA Football analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
