The Dallas Cowboys head into next season with Super Bowl aspirations. Injuries marred this past season. Dak Prescott missed most of the season with a devastating hamstring injury. CeeDee Lamb missed significant time, as did star pass rusher Micah Parsons. There has been a lot of optimism this offseason coming from the team. New head coach Brian Schottenheimer knows the offense, and if everyone comes back healthy, this team has shown they can make some noise in the regular season. However, they will have to go into next season without a key member of their offensive line. Guard Zack Martin announced his retirement today at 34 years old.

Dallas Cowboys Zack Martin Retires

The NFL was the first to report the news. Zack Martin had hinted at retirement in recent years, but the Dallas Cowboys hoped he would stay for a year or two. He was another player who was injured last season, and we’ve seen many players in their mid-30s call it a career due to injuries piling up. Martin was a first-round draft pick in 2014 out of Notre Dame. Between him, center Travis Frederick, and tackle Tyron Smith, they made up one of the best offensive lines in the league for many years.

Martin retires with many accolades. Every year, he was not injured; he made an All-Pro team. Martin was named to the first team seven times, including his rookie season. Two other times, he was named second-team All-Pro. This is on top of nine Pro Bowl selections. One thing that goes unnoticed is he was second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2014, which is unheard of for an offensive lineman. While Odell Beckham Jr. ran away with the award, Martin beat out Mike Evans in the voting. He is likely a Hall of Famer when he is eligible.

What Do The Cowboys Do?

This is a big blow for the Dallas Cowboys. We saw throughout the year how important offensive line play is to success. For years, Dallas hasn’t had to worry about this position. Now, they will have to rebuild their line. Protecting Prescott will be the number one priority, but it goes beyond that. Martin was an elite run-blocker, something the Cowboys struggled with last year in his absence. This offense will have to adapt and maybe rely on some of their young draft picks more this season.

Final Thoughts

Offensive linemen don’t often get the credit they deserve. However, Martin was one of the names even casual fans knew. He will be missed and it will be interesting to see how the Cowboys go about replacing him this offseason.