Cowboys refrained from signing RB Zack Moss since $4 million salary ask reportedly ‘too much for the team’s liking’

Moss bagged double of the offered salary by the Cowboys elsewhere.

Cowboys refrained from signing RB Zack Moss since $4 million salary ask reportedly ‘too much for the team’s liking’

Indianapolis Colts running back Zack Moss (#21) during a NFL, American Football Herren, USA football game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Carolina Panthers on November 5, 2023 (Image via IMAGO)

The Dallas Cowboys were relatively quiet on Monday, March 11, when the ‘legal tampering period’ officially kicked off. Besides restructuring OT Zack Martin‘s contract, the Cowboys’ only other move during the day was a failed negotiation attempt with Zack Moss.

Mike Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reported that the Cowboys attempted to sign Moss following the exit of Tony Pollard, who joined the Tennessee Titans. Moss was still on his rookie four-year $4,612,316 contract even after being traded to the Indianapolis Colts from the Buffalo Bills, who drafted him in 2020.

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Moss was the primary RB for the Indianapolis Colts in 2023. But even after four years playing in the NFL, the 26-year-old still only has 484 carries. PFF gave him a 72.0 rushing grade after last year’s performance, in which he had a career-best 183 carries for 794 rushing yards and 5 rushing touchdowns, in addition to 2 receiving TDs.

Gehlken shared on X (formerly Twitter) that the Dallas Cowboys approached Moss’ camp. The Cowboys are rumored to have offered him a deal in the region of $4 million. However, an insider revealed that Moss wanted more than the proposed deal. But his demands exceeded the Cowboys’ expectations, so they backed off.

After rejecting the Cowboys, Zack Moss found a new home

The Cowboys’ search for a quality Pollard replacement will continue. But the biggest hindrance to their pursuit is the salary cap. Over the Cap revealed that they only have $2.24 million in cap space. With that kind of budget to work with, it will be hard to land top-tier running backs, especially since most of the good ones are already off the table.

Cowboys refrained from signing RB Zack Moss since $4 million salary ask reportedly 'too much for the team's liking'
Indianapolis Colts running back Zack Moss (#21) during the regular season game between the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Image via IMAGO)

Zack Moss joined that list of backs, as Gehlken further reported that the Utah graduate has signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. He agreed to a two-year, $8 million deal.

Moss will be the replacement for the outgoing Joe Mixon. The 2017 second-round pick has been one of the better runners in the league. Mixon notched up 8,551 total yards and 62 scores in seven seasons, rushing 1000 yards on four occasions.

He signed a four-year, $48 million contract extension in 2020. It was coming to an end, and the consensus was that the Bengals would eventually decide to keep him. But as things stand, the 27-year-old is leaving Ohio, freeing up $6.1 million in salary cap space for Cincinnati. Naturally, the extra money helped the Bengals land Moss.

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