Perennial All-Pro guard Zack Martin of the Cowboys opts for season-ending ankle surgery
AP Pro Football Writer
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Now that Dallas Cowboys right guard Zack Martin has settled on season-ending ankle surgery, the seven-time All-Pro has no interest in discussing a future that would require a new contract.
The 34-year-old was particularly emphatic considering he floated the notion of retirement after ending a holdout with a reworked two-year deal going into last season.
“This is not the time to have those discussions,” Martin said Thursday. “It’s a tough situation, and the most important thing on my mind is getting healthy and then having those conversations down the road. … I want to get healthy and then maybe those conversations are a little bit easier.”
Martin said he had been dealing with ankle issues going back to training camp, and even before that. He missed the past two games after injuring an ankle late in a 34-10 loss to the Houston Texans on Nov. 18.
The 2014 first-round pick also battled shoulder, back and knee issues this season, but didn’t miss any games until after injuring the ankle against the Texans.
Martin said the ankle wasn’t responding to treatment, and the decision on surgery was made after consulting with the Cowboys’ medical staff. Coach Mike McCarthy broke the news to reporters Thursday morning.
It’s the second season-ending injury for the Dallas offense. Star quarterback Dak Prescott played eight games before tearing a hamstring and eventually deciding to have surgery.
“It’s a physical game,” Martin said. “That’s the tradeoff of being able to play this great game. Frustrated with everything that’s been happening with my body this year. The ankle was kind of the tipping point.”
Third-year player Brock Hoffman started in place of Martin in victories over Washington and the New York Giants. The Cowboys (5-7) are going for a third consecutive win in a visit from Cincinnati (4-8) on Monday night. Dallas lost its previous five games.
Martin has been a mainstay at right guard since the Cowboys drafted him 16th overall a decade ago. The former Notre Dame standout played all 16 games in each of his first four seasons.
Martin missed two games in 2018, and a calf injury sidelined him the final five games in 2020. The reworked contract last year voided the last four years on his previous deal, which is why Martin’s future was a popular talk with the latest news.
“Clearly a Hall of Famer,” said McCarthy, who joined the Cowboys in 2020. “Not only for the way he plays but just first class. He just commands a lot of respect. Hard-working. True team guy. He’s been a joy to work with, and I can’t say enough great things about him.”
As a rookie, Martin joined an offensive line considered one of the NFL’s best and helped DeMarco Murray set the franchise record with 1,845 yards rushing. Dallas lost in the divisional round of the 2014 playoffs.
It didn’t take long for Martin to become the anchor for Dallas’ offensive front, but the unit has struggled in recent years with injuries and a drop-off in productivity. The Cowboys have the second-worst rushing attack in the NFL this season.
There’s no denying Martin’s pedigree, though. He was named All-Pro in four of his first six seasons, and is on another three-year run that likely will end this year. The only season Martin hasn’t made the Pro Bowl was 2020.
“I’ve got a ton of pride in what I’ve done and what I’ve accomplished in this league,” Martin said. “We’ll see what the future holds, but yeah, a ton of pride.”
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