Zack Martin knows Dak Prescott better than anybody.
The former nine-time Pro Bowler and nine-time All Pro selection served as Prescott’s starting guard for the first nine seasons of his career (2016-2024). Martin was arguably the best offensive lineman of the 2010s and was a model of consistency, playing his first four full seasons without missing a game.
While Martin retired after the 2024 season, he still keeps close tabs on his former quarterback and the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are going through an up-and-down season with Dallas at 4-5 entering their Week 10 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
Prescott is coming off of one of his better performances in a tight win over the Indianapolis Colts, posting 335 yards passing to go along with two touchdowns and a 114.2 passer rating. However, that was after a week in which Prescott and the Cowboys faced a load of scrutiny after blowing a 14-point fourth quarter lead against the Arizona Cardinals during the previous week.
Martin went so far as to say that Prescott is as a good of a leader as he’s ever been around and flat out said “he’s the leader” of the Cowboys.
“He’s the leader,” said Martin of Prescott in a one-on-one interview. “He’s as good a teammate as I’ve ever been around.”
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Prescott is one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in the NFL as a multi-time Pro Bowl quarterback and a former All-Pro selection. He’s also led the league in passing touchdowns and is the second-highest paid player in the NFL on an average annual basis ($60 million per season).
However, he hasn’t always gotten the respect that he might deserve due to his lack of postseason success. Prescott is 2-5 in the playoffs and has the worst playoff record of any starting quarterback in the league outside of the Los Angeles Chargers‘ Justin Herbert (0-3). Prescott has also failed to lead the Cowboys past the divisional round of the playoffs.
That combined with being the face of “America’s Team,” a franchise that hasn’t won a Super Bowl since the 1995 season makes Prescott a target of scrutiny.
With that being said, Prescott has been a model of consistency with the fifth-most wins by a quarterback since the 2016 season. Only Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff, Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen have more victories.
Zack Martin Credits Dak Prescott For Dealing With ‘Adversity’ as Cowboys QB
“I’ve never met a guy that that has gone through more adversity in his life, and to have the ability to step up and be accountable and be the guy at such a pressured position at an organization like Dallas, kind of like I said earlier,” said Martin of Prescott. “I don’t think there’s too many people that could handle all that.”
Whether fair or not, the only way Prescott can shut down his detractors is to lead the Cowboys to a deep playoff run. They still have a legitimate chance at winning the NFC East with the New York Giants at 5-3-1. Martin believes Dallas — despite their inconsistent and weak defensive play — can make a run in the playoffs if they can get in.
“The playoffs are all about who’s healthy and who’s playing the best at that moment,” said Martin. “We had a lot of years we played really well at the beginning of the season, and before the playoffs, we weren’t playing our best football, and it shows up when you get into the playoffs. So, if you’re hitting it at the right time, you can definitely make some noise.”
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