It was only a matter of time before the Dallas Cowboys decided to move on from former first-round pick Ezekiel Elliott.

This put the future of the running back position in Dallas squarely on the shoulders of Tony Pollard. In 2022, Pollard saw his touches increase like never before and the results proved it should've been done a lot sooner.

Pollard led the Cowboys with 1,007 yards rushing, setting a new career-high for himself. Also, Pollard's 371 receiving yards were his best and he averaged over five yards per carry for the third time in four years.

Dallas thought enough of Pollard's performance to place the franchise tag on him back in March. It was signed a few weeks later, and Pollard was willing to get a long-term deal done quickly as he viewed his situation as a win-win for himself and the organization. 

The deadline for Pollard and the Cowboys to reach an extension is Monday at 4 pm EST. Despite the desire from both parties, Pollard will likely end up playing on the $10.1 million salary that his tag comes with. 

Of course, the goal for the Cowboys is to keep Pollard for as long as they can and his play has certainly garnered major respect. However, when it was time for Elliott to get paid the Cowboys folded, although it took a while, the aftermath wasn't pretty, though. 

Elliott had a very productive 2019 campaign but injuries became a regular thing over the next three seasons, and his production took a significant dip. That's when Pollard began to show how dynamic he was, and it started being on an even higher level than Elliott, plus he wasn't injured and cost less.

This without question had to get the wheels in the minds of the Cowboys' front office turning knowing that it was Pollard's turn next. When Pollard suffered a broken leg in the Cowboys' playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers back in January, that had to heavily influence their decision to wait on a huge commitment to him.

Dallas should want to see how Pollard looks coming back from his injury. According to Pollard, he has no limitations, but that's easier said as opposed to playing in real games. 

The Cowboys remember that after they paid Elliott huge money they only got one year of consistent high-level performances out of him which has to give them cause to pause in a way with Pollard. That's just being smart business-wise.

According to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports, dialogue between the Cowboys and Pollard is still ongoing, and it will likely continue up until the deadline and beyond.

Update on Cowboys & Tony Pollard as the clock approaches midnight

There you have it

Feature image via Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports