FRISCO, Texas — The end of an era might be arriving shortly for the ÃÛÌÒTV by way of one of the greatest players to ever wear one of their jerseys. Zack Martin, the perennial All-Pro right guard, is expected to retire from the NFL this offseason.
It's a decision that is likely to land over the coming days, as promised by Martin, who recently noted he would notify the team ahead of free agency; and it will end an incomparable 11-year run at the position — an official event set to be held by the Cowboys at some point in the next two weeks to honor the living legend.
A former first-round pick in 2014, 16th-overall in that year's NFL draft, Martin wasted no time establishing himself as the best at his position. Named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team that year, the former Notre Dame All-American has since earned a total of nine All-Pro nods and nine Pro Bowl honors.
He was also named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team.
Once the resident ironman in Dallas, Martin logged a total of 152 starts in the 10 seasons preceding 2024, when he went down with a season-ending ankle injury that required surgery to repair; and it was then that Martin disclosed it as a degenerative condition he'd been managing for years to remain available for the Cowboys while still performing at an elite level.
Replacing Martin will be impossible, a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, but it's a task now facing the Cowboys. The first in line, as of this moment, will be Brock Hoffman, who stepped in for the injured Martin in 2024, and productively so.
Hoffman is backed up by T.J. Bass, another young talent that shows tremendous promise at the position. With the absence of Martin going forward, shortly after Tyron Smith departed in free agency in 2024, the Cowboys' offensive line is officially on the other side of an era that featured Martin, Smith and fellow O-line superstar Travis Frederick — the latter retiring due to his battle with Guillain-Barre Syndrome in 2020.
Tyler Smith and Terence Steele instantly become the elder statesmen of the unit, both having learned all they could from Martin, one of the best minds in football.
