Report: Cowboys will tag Pollard if sides can't work out long-term deal

The Dallas Cowboys will franchise tag running back Tony Pollard if the two sides can't work out a long-term contract, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The franchise tag deadline is March 7. The running back tag is set at just over $10 million.

"Tony is certainly a big part of our plans," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Friday at the NFL combine, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic.

Pollard excelled last season, totaling 1,378 yards on 232 touches. The 25-year-old underwent surgery in January on a broken fibula that he suffered in the divisional round against the San Francisco 49ers.

The Cowboys exceed the salary cap by around $7.2 million, according to Over The Cap. Dallas is expected to release running back Ezekiel Elliott if the two sides can't agree on a contract restructure. He's scheduled to have a $16.72-million cap hit in 2023.

Jones said he wants Elliott back and believes the Cowboys can reach financial agreements to retain both players, according to Machota.

Pollard was a fourth-round pick in the 2019 draft. He has 3,624 total yards in 62 career regular-season games.