Cowboys' Zack Martin skips team flight to Oxnard amid contract disagreement

Dallas Cowboys All-Pro guard Zack Martin was reportedly not on the team flight to Oxnard, California for training camp on Monday, according to Dallas Morning News‘ David Moore. Although Martin was not the only veteran skipping the team flight, he is the only one currently in a public contract disagreement.

NFL insider Adam Schefter reported the potential for a training camp holdout on Wednesday, which was the same day Madden revealed Martin’s perfect 99 rating. The starting right guard is apparently unhappy with the team’s efforts to boost his pay.

As Schefter put it: “Martin believes he is ‘woefully underpaid relative to the market.’”

Veterans on the team are due to report in Oxnard on Tuesday. Those who chose not to take the team flight could find their own way to California, so there’s a possibility that Martin decides to show up anyway.

Martin ‘woefully underpaid’ on six-year deal

Martin last signed a deal in 2018 for six years and $84 million. Although he has arguably been the best guard in the league over the last few years, he isn’t currently paid as such.

The top-paid guard going into the 2023 season is Chris Lindstrom with the Falcons. He signed a five-year deal in March for $102.5 million. The Cowboys star is making roughly $6.5 million less per season than Lindstrom. Even though Martin’s deal was one of the longest at the time he signed, it’s now close to running out.

There is precedent for the team to renegotiate with the star guard despite two years left remaining on his deal. In 2002, they signed guard Larry Allen under similar circumstances to a new deal in order to make him one of the highest-paid OL in the league once more.

As far as leverage goes, Dallas has already practiced this offseason without Martin as he recovered from a soft-tissue injury. However, they’ll definitely want him back.

The Cowboys have several players capable of swinging from tackle to guard, which will make it easier during training camp if they have to continue on without Martin for any amount of time.

The Cowboys start the preseason with a game versus the Jaguars on Aug. 12.

Cowboys guard earns ’99’ rating on Madden NFL 24

Martin has made a name for himself at the guard position over the last nine years and on Wednesday, ESPN revealed that he is the first guard since Larry Allen in 2003 to receive a perfect Madden rating.

The Cowboys’ starting right guard will have a 99 when Madden NFL 24 comes out on August 15. He is only one of five players that will start the year with a perfect rating.

Coming out of Notre Dame for the 2014 NFL Draft, Martin had been a two-time captain for the Fighting Irish. The Cowboys selected him with the No. 16 overall pick in the first round. In his first season, he was the only rookie to make the first-team All-Pro list. He was also the first Cowboys rookie to make it since 1969.