Cowboys Fans and Media React to Possibility of Tony Pollard Starting Week One

The Tony Pollard hype train is full of passengers and is leaving the station. Ezekiel Elliott is an electrifying talent, but he is holding out for a contract extension and could miss some regular-season action. In this scenario, the rookie from Memphis will be the man leading the Cowboys rushing attack, especially after he has spent the preseason working with the starting offense and quarterback Dak Prescott.

Does this mean that Pollard will be replacing Zeke long-term? Not necessarily. The Dallas Cowboys believe that Elliott will be with the team for the foreseeable future, especially considering that he has two years remaining on his rookie deal. A deal will eventually get done, but team owner Jerry Jones isn’t panicking. As he explained to the media, they’ve got a marathon and want Zeke for the playoffs.

By all appearances, the Cowboys will be heading into the regular season with Pollard as the starting running back, barring a deal getting done prior to labor day. So what does this mean for his prospects during the season? Will Pollard shine behind this talented offensive line, or will he struggle early?

Unsurprisingly, the reactions from football fans, fantasy analysts, and media members are mixed. Some view him as a dynamic talent that will be named as a top talent by the end of the year while others see the Cowboys offense imploding without Elliott in the building.

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Skip Bayless is a man known for his love of the Dallas Cowboys. The co-host of Skip and Shannon: Undisputed is not shy about his fandom, and he consistently makes Diet Mountain Dew wagers with Shannon Sharpe over the potential of his favorite team. When Bayless talks Cowboys, he is very optimistic. This situation with Tony Pollard is no different considering that he has been hyping up the rookie since the draft. 

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For a refresher on Tony Pollard, it’s critical to look back at the plays that he has made this preseason. The rookie from Memphis has been on the field with quarterback Dak Prescott and the starting offense, and he has produced very well, all things considered. Yes, he is dealing with constantly being compared to Elliott, the former fourth-overall pick in 2016, but in a vacuum, Pollard has been impressive. He ran right through the Houston Texans defense during Saturday’s game, piling up 26 yards in limited action. He also scored a touchdown but had it called back due to a block in the back. 

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While Skip Bayless may be a huge fan of Tony Pollard, especially after three preseason games, co-host Shannon Sharpe is of a very different mindset. The Hall of Fame tight end weighed in on the possibility of Pollard replacing Ezekiel Elliott for any stretch of time. In his eyes, Sharpe has no faith that Pollard will be the bell cow running back that will dominate the carries and lead the way for this Cowboys offense. Instead, he sees Pollard as someone that will be used primarily as a “scat back” and slot receiver. 

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Sports personality Rebecca Grant is among those in America that are watching this debate about Tony Pollard and have one big question. Is he any good? It’s difficult to tell at this point considering that the rookie from Memphis has only been seen during the preseason. He has faced some defensive starters, but the games mean less and opposing coordinators aren’t showing everything in their bag of tricks. Once the games matter, it will be a different story. Will Pollard produce in week one against the New York Giants? 

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At this point in the preseason, there is a legitimate possibility that Ezekiel Elliott may not be suiting up for the Cowboys during week one. In fact, the holdout could continue for a lengthy period of time if the negotiations were to break down. If this happens, one fantasy analyst could see Pollard stepping into the starting role and shining for his team. He won’t be the best running back in the league, but Pollard has a chance to impress. 

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Perspective is important during this discussion about Tony Pollard. In the past few months, the rookie has often been compared to New Orleans Saints star Alvin Kamara. This football fan is taking that one step further by focusing on the college career. Pollard wasn’t heavily involved at Memphis due to playing behind fellow rookie Darrell Henderson. Similarly, Kamara wasn’t utilized all that often during his time at the University of Tennessee. Since entering the league, however, he has 1,611 yards rushing, 1,535 receiving, and 31 combined touchdowns.  

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Ezekiel Elliott may be one of the most electric running backs in the NFL, but there are plenty of figures that see him as replaceable. With news arising on Wednesday that he could miss regular-season games, the focus immediately turned to rookie Tony Pollard. Unsurprisingly, the hype is building for the youngster, especially considering that he will be lining up behind one of the best offensive lines in the league. 

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The overwhelming majority of fans on Twitter may be jumping on the Tony Pollard hype train, but this particular individual is not convinced. In fact, he sees a lengthy Ezekiel Elliott holdout only resulting in doom for the Dallas Cowboys. He responded to Skip Bayless on Twitter and said that this would be a lost season if Pollard led the rushing attack. 

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How good can Tony Pollard be in the Dallas Cowboys offense? Well, one fan sees a correlation between the Le’Veon Bell holdout of 2018 and the existing situation with Ezekiel Elliott. When the Pittsburgh Steelers star held out for an entire season in order to get a new contract, he was replaced in the lineup by little-known backup James Conner. The second-year runner responded by posting 973 rushing yards and a whopping 12 touchdowns. Can Pollard recreate this in Texas? 

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With offensive lineman Zack Martin saying that Tony Pollard is a “damn good back,” the hype began building for the rookie from Memphis. He was selected in fantasy drafts early and is being viewed as the man that will replace Ezekiel Elliott during the early portions of the season. However, one fan wants to pump the brakes just a tad. What did Martin really mean with his comments? Does he believe that Pollard is that good, or was he being polite?