Zack Martin injury update: Cowboys OL to undergo season-ending ankle surgery

Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Zack Martin will miss the rest of the 2024 season as he will have surgery on his ankle. The All-Pro played in just 10 games this year.

“He’s gonna be missed,” Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters on Thursday, per Cowboys.com. “We’re not gonna replace Zack Martin, by any means. … He brings so much to the team and the team culture. We all recognize what kind of player he’s been here in Dallas, but the type of person he is — people gravitate to him. His leadership, he’ll definitely be missed in that area.”

Martin has been a consistent offensive lineman since entering the NFL in 2014. Along with being selected to the All-Pro Team nine times, Martin is a nine-time Pro Bowl selection.

The 2024 season has been challenging for the former Notre Dame star as he dealt with multiple injuries this year. Martin injured his back, shoulder and both ankles with the right one getting repaired.

Will Zack Martin retire after the 2024 season ends?

With Martin in his 11th NFL season and recently turning 34 years old, there is speculation about his future with the Cowboys. In November, Cowboys All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons said that Martin could be in his “last year.” When Martin was asked about it, he did not confirm he was on his way out.

“I’m just taking it one week at a time, my guy,” Martin said to CBS Sports.

While it’s unclear that Martin will retire after the 2024 season, he has admitted to thinking about life after football. “I think I’d be lying if I said it has not entered my mind, right?” Martin said in June. “I think that’s been a big thing for me this year, just try to tell myself, ‘Hey, go out, do your thing and let anything else take care of itself after the season.’ I don’t know when I’ll be done, but it’s definitely getting closer to the end.”