With their preseason now officially underway, the top talking point around the Cowboys is the ongoing holdout of Zack Martin. The All-Pro guard does not appear to be close to working out a resolution with his contract status, as owner Jerry Jones recently touched on again. 
The latter made it clear last month that Dallas is not interested in discussing a new deal, something Martin is seeking in the wake of the upward movement seen recently in the guard market. Two years remain on his current contract, and Jones has alluded to that fact when speaking about why the Cowboys expect him to report to the team ahead of the regular season.
Dallas also has a number of extensions on the radar, even with the likes of cornerback Trevon Diggs and safety Malik Hooker signing multi-year deals this offseason. A number of other high-profile players (including wideout CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott) are either eligible for a second contract or need years added onto their existing one for the sake of smoothing out cap charges. As a result, no traction has been made on the Martin front.
When asked if he is surprised that is the case, Jones said, via The Athletic’s Jon Machota (on Twitter), “Not really. Surprised is really not the word there. It’s very costly. That’s just where we are. There are huge, significant ramifications happening here by anybody’s measure, financially. So , you realize that not having him here, it could happen [via injury] on the next play. You got to put that one on and say you just move on here without him. You say that sounds like a concern. No, I’m just trying to give you how you really have to look at it.”
Martin has remained one of the league’s top O-lineman at any position throughout his Cowboys career. That included Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors in 2022, adding to his case for a raise commensurate with the new financial landscape of the guard position. With a number of other producers whose Dallas tenures are not accounted for, though, a firm stance is also understandable from the team’s perspective.
“It’s not about precedent, it’s about facts,” Jones added, via Sports Illustrated’s Mike Fisher. “We need the money to pay [Micah] Parsons [in the future]. We need the money to pay the players that we got to pay in the future. That’s a fact.”
Martin is accumulating $50K per day in mandatory fines, which has quickly resulted in six-figure penalties for the 32-year-old. His absence has also left the Cowboys in need of a replacement starter at the right guard spot during camp practices and today’s preseason opener. A pair of contenders are in play to win the first-team role.
Josh Ball had the inside track for the title of Martin fill-in, but former UDFA Brock Hoffman has made a case as well, per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. The latter played three games in the regular season and one in the playoffs as a rookie last year, putting him at a slight disadvantage compared to Ball. Neither option has the pedigree of Martin, though, so the status of the holdout will remain a major storyline for the foreseeable future.
Play out your $84 million contract, big guy. If you didn’t like the terms, you shouldn’t have signed the deal.
NFL owners rarely fulfill their side of contracts. Many more players are cut before their contracts are up. Of course Jones leaves that out. When a guy plays at the elite level of a Zack Martin, you have to keep him. Ask Prescott if it will affect their offense if he’s not there.
In this case, Martin is not on the last year of his deal. Martin is not in any danger of being cut. Martin signed a record level deal years ago, which he is still playing on. Martin, while an all time great, is older and his play has begun to regress from elite to good as of last year. No, I do not see any reason at all for him to be upset.
He is well compensated and is bothered by simply not being at the top for an extension that he signed years ago. Has Martin considered the fact that most extensions don’t stay as relatively lucrative for as long as his did?
That’s the Cowboy way- Sign players to longer deals than most other teams in order to lock them up even if their position group dramatically increases. And Martin is still rated at an elite level by PFF. Sorry, but the cap will dramatically increase again next year and Jone’s crocodile tears don’t move me in the least.
Well…then he can get an extension when it raises. Martin makes good money, and at the time, his extension was the best in the league. He knew what he would make, and he signed the deal. If Martin was woefully under compensated, I could see his point. But he’s not even past the ten spot, and he has two years left. Maybe he could get antsy with one year left, or on his last year. But he’s in no danger of being cut, and he’s paid pretty well.
Wanting a new deal isn’t the worst on its own, but this isn’t a travesty. Certainly the grievance is not enough to hold out of camp.
This guy should find another line of work if he doesn’t like his compensation.
Let these teams pay top dollar for QB’s and low ball in other positions and see how the teams not win the SB.
No, as much as I hate to say it (because I’m not a fan of theirs) Dallas is doing the right thing. Let the dumb franchises like the Falcons, pay Guards 20 million per year. Their is no Guard in the league worth that (in relation to other positions). They’ve messed up the market for the position. The Cowboys shouldn’t be in any hurry to take part in that.
The fan angst here against Martin is so crazy. Martin has been one of the best offensive linemen in the history of the league. He had towed the company line his entire career. He wants and deserves to be paid relative to his level of play. Jerry’s strong arm tactics seem out of character.
Yea it really blows my mind anyone would side with Jerry, Martin has more than earned a raise. I’ll never understand fans who back the billionaire in a suit over the millionaire getting his head beaten to a pulp for their enjoyment, I mean we should support these guys getting their compensation especially when so little of it is guaranteed.
He will get his raise when his contract is up.
Jerry is too medicated to talk sensibly anymore. He has the idea perennial All-Pro OL just drop from trees like leaves. He’ll get a rude awakening when he has to find Martin’s replacement.
I agree. Bring Martin back in and have him choose which players to fire immediately? Martin has what was in 2018 a record setting contract (6 year 84 million dollars). Now, 5 years later he’s only in the top 7 in means of money after being the top paid at his position for years. They need to fix that for him ASAP, skip the league cap and ignore the entire teams finances? Boy oh Jerry is dumb?
Billionaire in a suit doesn’t matter. The salary cap matters. Zack Martin has @ $75M in career earnings. Martin is playing on his 2nd contract, which paid him top dollar, and still has 2 years to go. Jerry is right on this one.
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If he’s losing $50,000, PER DAY, maybe a raise isn’t as important to him, as he wants us to believe. I get that it’s all about the principle, but YOU SIGNED A CONTRACT.
Jerry Jones is human filth who has made his money exploiting and gouging everyone and anyone he meets.
But we have a special breed of mindwarped bootlicking minion in this country who will side with him every time.
“Martin is GREEDY!!!. He should get a new job if Master Jerry’s benevolent goodness isn’t enough for him.”
Sure. If you like being a child, insults and temper tantrums can explain everything.
Or, you know, looking at the salary cap.
We have a special breed that are clueless about what a salary cap is
Hey Jerry…..Joe Douglas is on line one