He may not have been the man that Jerry Jones wanted on draft night, but Zack Martin put together a Hall of Fame-worthy career with the Dallas Cowboys.
DALLAS — The offseason for the Dallas Cowboys got off to a bittersweet start on Thursday when longtime starting right guard Zack Martin made it known that he plans to retire.
Martin was set to become a free agent and instead of prolonging his career with another team or toughing it out with the Cowboys for another season or two, the future Hall of Famer felt it was time to call it a career.
And what a career it was.
Martin was the team’s top pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, the 16th overall selection, and the decision to draft him immediately stirred up controversy. The Cowboys, with Stephen Jones in more control of the decisions on that day, chose the stud offensive lineman out of Notre Dame over flashy quarterback Johnny Manziel, whom Jerry Jones coveted as a headline-grabbing heir apparent to Tony Romo. It’s safe to say the conservative approach worked out for the Cowboys in this instance.
In his 11 seasons in the league, Martin was an All-Pro nine times – including seven First-Team All-Pro selections – and is a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team. The only two years that the dominant RG failed to make an All-Pro team were the seasons when he was injured and failed to play in more than 10 games.
Among the top mind-blowing accomplishments for Martin include him having more All-Pro nods than holding penalties in his career, and no accepted holding calls in pass protection, an almost unfathomable mark of consistency and mastery of his position.
With his decision to retire coming early, before free agency and the draft, Martin is once again helping the Cowboys. By letting the team know early, the organization can prepare for the open market and the draft knowing they won’t be able to count on Martin. If there was a delay in the decision, it could have altered any offseason plans that the Cowboys have brewing for the team.
Martin will be hanging up his cleats after what was arguably his worst season, perhaps a sign for the 34-year-old to take his leave rather than carry on at a level of production below his standards. Injuries rendered him a shell of himself in the 10 games that he played before his 2024 season was shut down.
However, no one will remember his unfortunate final year when mentioning Martin’s legacy. Not when the franchise great is likely to descend upon the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot opportunity.
When healthy, Martin was undoubtedly one of the best offensive linemen in league history, and his announcement is garnering the respect of his peers throughout the league. To that point, former Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray took to social media to congratulate his former teammate on a great career.
Murray knows just how much his former OL meant to him and his career. In 2014, Murray had the best season of his career running behind Martin, then a rookie, rushing for a franchise record 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns.
A former defensive tackle who battled Martin in the trenches, Gerald McCoy, also had high praise for his adversary.
Martin’s greatness is a sentiment is hard to argue with, but the absence of it is something the Cowboys must figure out how to address. T.J. Bass and Brock Hoffman are the top internal options now that Martin is out of the picture, both of whom have played admirably when called upon in recent seasons.
Hoffman had a strong showing filling in for Martin last season, and although he’s a restricted free agent, he’s expected back. Dallas’ running game got a boost after Martin left the lineup with an injury and Hoffman was a big part of that improvement, he’ll be the first man up to win the RG job.
The team could also move Cooper Beebe from center to guard, with guard being his position in college before he moved over and started at center for Dallas. That doesn’t seem likely, as Beebe was a bright spot on the line at center, but it’s an option, especially if Dallas likes another center in free agency or the draft.
Overall, free agency and the draft are prime potential avenues for the Cowboys to find Martin’s replacement if they don’t like the internal options. Bass and Hoffman might get the job done, but they are both undrafted free agents. The team might prefer having someone with more pedigree to take over.
No matter who the Cowboys line up at RG when the season begins, he’s got big shoes to fill. No one will be able to play at the level Martin did for years and the OL will be without their veteran leader.
It was a tremendous career for Zack Martin, who is one of the greatest offensive linemen in Cowboys and league history. With his retirement, a new era for Dallas’ offensive line begins and Martin’s next two stops will be to Canton, Ohio, and into the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor.
No blocking necessary for those trips.
Do you think Zack Martin is the top lineman in team history? Share your thoughts with Ben on X (formerly Twitter) @BenGrimaldi.