Jerry Jones on Zack Martin contract dispute: 'Every dollar he gets he's taking away from a teammate'

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones just provided an update on Zack Martin‘s contract negotiations.

“I certainly expect him to be a part of the team. He is a part of the team. He’s outstanding. He’s a pro bowler,” Jones said on the NFL Network. “The issue, though, is that this isn’t about any kind of philosophy or what have you. Every dollar one player gets, the other player doesn’t. And so it’s an allocation.

“If you had your contracts, and you readjusted them every time anybody did or felt that they’re playing above their contract, or felt like people are being paid more right now, you could never field a team because it would be all going away from you faster than you can have the money,” Jones said.

The former Notre Dame standout has an $11 million cap hit in 2023 after the Cowboys transformed $12 million of his $13.5 million base salary into a signing bonus. Additionally, Martin is under contract in 2024 with a $23.3 million cap hit.

The 32-year-old is one of the top offensive linemen in the NFL. The Dallas Cowboys drafted Martin in the 2014 NFL Draft. Since then, Martin has been selected to play in the Pro Bowl eight times and been named an All-Pro six times. Despite his success, Martin is still only the eighth-highest-paid guard in the NFL.

According to Bleacher Report’s Erin Walsh, “Atlanta Falcons veteran Chris Lindstrom averages $20.5 million per year and Indianapolis Colts star Quenton Nelson averages $20 million per year. They are the highest-paid guards in the league.”

The art of the deal

Jones doesn’t deny Martin’s importance, but he also knows how difficult making the deal can be.

“You can’t go in and adjust those contracts,” Jones said. “How that works is that two people, players, a team — you give some more. In other words, you give more years, and then you get more money for that consideration. Those are the kinds of things that make that work. If you feel like there needs to be an adjustment, it gets harder to do as you get longer in your career.”

Entering his 10th season in the NFL, Martin certainly isn’t green. Nonetheless, the Cowboys will need every bit of the 6-foot-4, 315-pounder this season. After losing 19-12 to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL Divisional Round last year, hopes are high for the Cowboys.

Watch the Cowboys, and perhaps Martin, kick off the 2023 regular season in a matchup against the New York Giants on Sept. 10.