Getty Dallas Cowboys players Zack Martin and Dak Prescott celebrate after a touchdown.
The Dallas Cowboys are heeding the call of one of their most decorated players, handing out a $8.5 million raise after a period of uncertainty. There was never a question of whether offensive lineman Zack Martin deserved to be paid like other top center backs, it was just whether or not the Cowboys would fork out the cash.
On August 14, Dallas signed the check. ESPN insider Adam Schefter was the first to report that the Cowboys and Martin had agreed on a raise, significantly increasing Martin’s pay over the net two seasons.
Martin Looks to Add Another All-Pro Honor in 2023
Since joining the Cowboys in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft, there have been very few NFL offensive linemen with the quality or longevity that Martin has shown. The 32-year-old joined Dallas after a stellar college career at Notre Dame, and has basically dominated in his 9 seasons in the NFL.
As a rookie, Martin earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors, finishing as a runner-up for Offensive Rookie of the Year according to PFR. When breaking down his accolades, it’s easier to mention which years Martin did not earn an All-Pro or Pro Bowl spot.
There is only one season where Martin did not make the Pro Bowl or an All-Pro squad: 2020. It also marks one of the only seasons in which he missed playing time (Martin played 10 games that year due to injury.)
The 32-year-old has missed just nine games over nine seasons, starting a total of 137 times. To put it in perspective, only five NFL offensive linemen have played more games since Martin entered the league in 2014.
Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Opens Up the Wallet
According to Spotrac, Dallas had an estimated $22 million in cap space for the 2023 season before Martin’s new raise. With his deal being bumped from $13.5 million to $18 million, the Cowboys will be looking at around $17.5 million in remaining space.
That’s plenty to do something with this year, such as bringing back running back Ezekiel Elliott or signing another big name in free agency. Whether or not Jerry Jones has actual plans for that is undetermined, but this deal doesn’t rule out other additions.
In terms of where this places Martin on the highest-paid list of guards for the 2023 season, the Cowboys guard is now second behind the Atlanta Falcons’ Alec Lindstrom. However, Lindstrom’s deal is a bit of an anomaly due to it being a front-loaded agreement that is paying him $35.7 million for the 2023 season.