There hasn’t been a better interior offensive lineman in the NFL since 2014 than Zack Martin of the Dallas Cowboys. Martin entered the league after playing tackle at Notre Dame and transitioned to guard in the NFL where he has put together a Hall of Fame caliber career.
But could that career with the Dallas Cowboys be running out?
Nate Davis of USA TODAY Sports put together a list of current NFL players most impacted by their respective team’s draft picks this past weekend. Here is what he said about Martin:
Great, great player – quite likely a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He’s also 33, entering his 11th season and a major component of the salary cap crunch for a team facing a financial reckoning – especially with All-Pro WR CeeDee Lamb and LB Micah Parsons up for new contracts. And then there’s the arrival of highly regarded Kansas State G Cooper Beebe in the third round. That’s not to say Martin is fighting for his job … right now. But he could very well be looking for a new one in 2025 given how the landscape is taking shape around him.
The Cowboys clearly aren’t in great financial shape going forward and haven’t done a whole lot to wow their fan base this off-season. The aforementioned Lamb and Parsons will both land massive contracts before long while Martin is entering the second year of his restructured two year deal that would make cutting him a lot easier for Dallas.
And hey, if that happens then maybe Martin could finally play for a team that could win a playoff game or two.