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12 Cowboys Who Won't Return Next Season

Now that the Cowboys' offseason has officially begun following the Super Bowl, don't expect to see these 12 players in a Dallas jersey next NFL season.

By Devon Platana

RB Tony Pollard is one of 12 Cowboys who won't return for the 2024 NFL season.
RB Tony Pollard is one of 12 Cowboys who won't return for the 2024 NFL season. / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
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6. Rico Dowdle, RB

Pollard isn't the only free-agent running back that the Cowboys must address this offseason.

Third-year rusher Rico Dowdle is also gearing up to test the open market. The ex-South Carolina Gamecock joined the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2020 but didn't see any real playing time until this past season, having spent the majority of the two previous campaigns on special teams.

Turns out Dowdle was waiting for the right time to show up because he made the most of his opportunities in 2023. Appearing in 16 games without a start, the 25-year-old turned 89 carries into 361 rushing yards and two touchdowns while adding 17 receptions for another 144 yards and a pair of scores.

Even though Cowboys fans wouldn't mind Dowdle as the RB2 in 2024, it might not happen. A potential suitor could believe that he's primed for a bigger role and offer him a contract that Dallas can't match. He did score a rushing TD in each of the two games where he saw 12 carries, so it isn't unfathomable to believe that he could do more with a bigger workload.

Dowdle is also a restricted free agent, meaning the Cowboys might not mind losing him due to the potential compensation they could receive.

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