Dallas Cowboys G Zack Martin retires, ending an illustrious career

A Dallas Cowboys legend is riding off into the sunset.

Zack Martin informed the Cowboys on Thursday that he plans to retire, ending a career that began and ended with Dallas.

Martin was an All-Pro nine times, including seven first-team nods, in an 11-year career. He was a member of the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade team despite starting his career nearly halfway through the decade. His performance has justified one logical ending.

Zack Martin:

– 7x First-Team All-Pro
– 2x Second-Team All-Pro
– member of NFL 2010s All Decade team

See you in Canton, 70. pic.twitter.com/61zpTU96sg

— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) February 20, 2025

“Clearly a Hall of Famer,” former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said earlier this year. “Not only for the way he plays but just first class. He just commands a lot of respect. Same person, personality every single day. Hard working. True team guy. Puts the team first. He’s been a joy to work with and I can’t say enough great things about him.”

The only two times of his career Martin didn’t earn All-Pro status were 2020 and this past season. This past season was cut short by season-ending ankle surgery. Those were also the only two seasons that he ended up on injured reserve with significant injuries. He finished his career by playing over 17,000 snaps in 162 games.

Martin was an unrestricted free agent this off-season. At the Super Bowl, he told DLLS Sports that he wanted to take time and think about his future and whether it involved continuing to play football with the Cowboys or any team. A big factor in his decision, he said, was his health and whether he could perform to the Hall of Fame standard he had set during his career with the Cowboys.

Martin’s decision to retire likely answers that question.

Martin’s impact on the Cowboys goes beyond the production he had at right guard. He was a Walter Payton Man of the Year Finalist this year for his work in the community. He was also a leader for the Cowboys’ locker room for quite some time.

“That’s his o-line room,” rookie tackle Tyler Guyton said earlier this season. “He’s been the standard in the NFL for the last decade. He’s built a culture here and carried the culture of the OGs that have been through here.”

Martin’s impact will be felt in the Cowboys locker room. His consistent high-level of production will also be remembered by those inside and outside of it.

“I just remember watching him and just trying to understand how he can be so good at football,” Guyton said earlier this year with emphasis on that last word. “So many accolades and accomplishments. It’s really hard at guard, especially a decade long.”

“To a normal person, they don’t know what goes on inside the walls, the day-to-day. But being that consistent for 10 years — and not just being consistent, but being [consistently the best] — that’s a whole another level. He gets all the props in the world. To me, he’s truly a different breed.”