Cowboys' Jerry Jones Wants Ezekiel Elliott to Return in 2023 amid Tony Pollard Rumors

Jerry Jones wants Ezekiel Elliott to remain with the Dallas Cowboys, and the owner told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine that he is hoping to find a way to be able to keep both him and fellow running back Tony Pollard.

Elliott is in entering his eighth season with the team and is in the middle of a six-year, $90 million contract that keeps him with the organization through the 2026 season. The 27-year-old is set to have an $16.7 million cap hit.

Jones made it clear that Pollard, who had a breakout year in 2022, will be back with the organization next season, whether through a contract extension or under the franchise tag. Pollard is set to become unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Friday that Dallas plans on placing the franchise tag on Pollard if it isn't able to reach able to agree on a long-term deal ahead of the tag deadline Tuesday.

If Pollard does end up playing on the franchise tag for next season, he'll make a little over $10 million.

Pollard and Elliott made up a dynamic rushing attack for Dallas, which finished ninth in the league with 2,298 rushing yards (135.2 per game).

While Elliott was best used in goal-line situations, ending the year with 12 scores on the ground, Pollard proved to be the more dynamic threat all-around. He gained 5.2 yards per carry, compared to just 3.8 for Elliott.

The 25-year-old broke out in a big way, leading the team with 1,007 rushing yards and tacked on 371 more through the air. Meanwhile, Elliott had a career-low 876 yards on the ground.

Pollard had more rushing attempts than Elliott in three games this year, most notably in the Cowboys' playoff win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.