Cowboys All-Pro Zack Martin gets real about season-ending injury, weighs in on potential retirement
Dallas Cowboys right guard Zack Martin will go down as one of the greatest players in the history of the NFL.But following a season-ending injury that will knock him out of the 2024 NFL season, it remains to be seen if there is more coming for his career or if we've seen the last of […]
Dallas Cowboys right guard Zack Martin will go down as one of the greatest players in the history of the NFL.
But following a season-ending injury that will knock him out of the 2024 NFL season, it remains to be seen if there is more coming for his career or if we've seen the last of it just yet. The seven-time First-Team All-Pro admitted since the offseason he was considering hanging it up. However, he's still unsure about what his future holds.
On Thursday, Martin talked to the media for the first time since the news broke.
"This is not the time to have these discussions," Martin told reporters when asked about potentially retiring. "This is kind of all that I'll say about that, it's a tough situation, and the most important thing on my mind is getting healthy."
For Martin, contemplating retirement and rehabbing go hand in hand, as depending on how rehab goes, a potentially tough decision might just be made easier one way or the other.
"First and foremost, I want to get healthy," Martin said. "Maybe it'll make those conversations a little bit easier."
'Treatments that have worked for me in the past': Martin gets real about his injury
Martin spoke about the process that led to the decision of calling it a year, taking fans and media behind the scenes and admitting it's something he's been dealing with since before the regular season started, which helps explain a relative decline from his on-field performance. .
"It's something I've been dealing with all year, going back to training camp and really over the last few years," Martin told reporters about his injury. "Over the last couple of weeks, we took some time to try to heal up, doing different treatments and approaches. On Monday, I did some workouts on the field, but it just didn’t respond well. (Director of Rehabilitation Britt Brown) and I had a heart-to-heart conversation, and we decided it was smarter to get this thing fixed and focus on getting healthy."
Martin was honest and straightforward discussing the decision, revealing one of the determining factors for his decision was that he had undergone similar treatments that had already fixed issues for him. This year, at 34 years old and in his eleventh season in the league, they didn't.
"I've done that throughout my career, trying different treatments that have worked for me in the past. But after not getting the kind of response I was looking for over the last couple of weeks, it became clear," Martin explained. "Not being able to perform at my best or be who I am on the field is a big part of why we decided to take this step."
Martin is set to be replaced by the young Brock Hoffman, who has become a bright spot for the Cowboys as of late as a nasty blocker on the right side that brings a feisty attitude to the O-line.
"That's the thing that stings is that I'm not going to be able to go out there and be out there with those guys and finish the year," Martin said.
