The Dallas Cowboys took a major hit to their offense Sunday in their NFC playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers when running back Tony Pollard had to leave the game with a fractured left fibula and high ankle sprain, sources say.
Pollard suffered the injury in the game’s first half, with 1:24 left to go, when he was “rolled up” after an eight-yard catch. Pollard received aid on the sidelines and was seen with an Aircast on his left leg as he was carted to Levi Stadium’s X-ray room, where he was subsequently ruled out of the game. According to sources, Pollard will require leg surgery and a minimum of three months to recover.
“That hurt,” Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said. “Just a guy that brings so much to our offense, brings so much to our team. His energy. His energy on the sideline, in the huddle, the way he gets guys going. He’s a special teammate, [a] special player, and obviously that one hurt. It hurt us. Wasn’t able to create as many explosive plays as we planned, and I’m sure he would’ve been a big part of some of those had he not gotten hurt.”
With Pollard no longer in the running for the rest of the game, the Cowboys had to lean on Ezekial Elliott and rookie Malik Davis. Elliot averaged just 3.8 yards this season and played a good portion of the year with a knee brace to protect a sprained medial collateral ligament. Davis had 161 yards and a touchdown on 38 carries in the regular season. As a team, Dallas only managed to run for 76 yards on 22 carries, resulting in 3.5 yards per carry. Pollard recorded 22 yards on six carries.
For Cowboys fans, Pollard’s injury couldn’t have come at a worse time.
With the Cowboys now entering their offseason and Pollard a pending free agent, the future of the team’s defense remains uncertain. Pollard is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in March after the best season of his career. In 16 regular-season games, Pollard had 1,007 yards on 193 carries. This season alone, he scored 12 touchdowns, surpassing the total he had in his first three seasons, and was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career.
