12 Cowboys Who Won't Return Next Season

With Super Bowl LVIII in the rearview, Dallas Cowboys fans can officially focus on the offseason.

The 2023 NFL season saw America's Team win their second NFC East title in three seasons, however, the fanbase was left wanting more as the Cowboys were eliminated by the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round, extending the near-30-year Super Bowl drought in the process.

Team owner/general manager Jerry Jones has hyped up Dallas' potential offseason plans, but it remains to be seen what those entail. If the Cowboys do plan on going "all in" over the coming months, chances are that some familiar faces will be sent packing, whether it's because of an underperformance or they're asking for too much money as a free agent.

Either way, don't be surprised if these 12 Cowboys are no longer in the Lone Star State come September.

1. Tony Pollard, RB

Cowboys fans had high hopes for running back Tony Pollard in his first season as the starting running back. After all, the former Memphis rusher had a career year behind Ezekiel Elliott in 2022, amassing 1,378 scrimmage yards (1,007 rushing, 371 receiving) and 12 touchdowns across 232 touches (193 carries, 39 receptions).

Unfortunately, Pollard's production left much to be desired in 2023. Despite starting in a career-high 17 games and seeing 75 more touches than last year, the 26-year-old veteran only finished with 1,316 scrimmage yards and six TDs. Was it the worst performance ever? No, but it was disappointing given what he did with fewer opportunities one year ago.

Furthermore, he rushed for at least 80 yards just once in 2023 compared to seven times in 2022.

Fast forward a bit and Pollard is slated to hit free agency next month. While the Cowboys could wind up re-signing him, nothing suggests that they should. It's possible that Pollard might just not be a three-down RB and Dallas could end up going with a cheaper/younger option through the NFL Draft.