Dallas Cowboys All-Pro guard Zack Martin is set to undergo season-ending surgery on his right ankle, coach Mike McCarthy said Thursday. The injury first occurred in Week 11 against the Houston Texans, though Martin fought to play through injuries to both ankles in 2024.
The 34-year-old was absent during Dallas’ last two games against the Washington Commanders and New York Giants after starting the first 10 contests of the season. Martin has been one of the NFL’s ironmen over the last decade, having only missed 11 regular season games throughout his first 10 years in the NFL.
“We’re not gonna replace Zack Martin, by any means,” McCarthy said. “He brings so much to the team and the team culture. We all recognize what kind of player he’s been here in Dallas, but the type of person he is — people gravitate to him. His leadership, he’ll definitely be missed in that area.”
Attention now turns to his future in Dallas, as Martin has one year remaining on the two-year, $36.8 million restructured contract he signed last August. It carries a $10.6 million salary cap hit in 2025.
Martin, named the Cowboys’ nominee for the 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award on Wednesday, has been named an All-Pro selection seven times and a Pro Bowler nine times since being selected No. 16 overall by Dallas in the 2014 NFL Draft.
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