By Jon Machota, Cale Clinton and Jelani Scott

Seven-time first-team All-Pro guard Zack Martin informed the Dallas Cowboys that he will be retiring after 11 seasons in the NFL, according to multiple team sources.

Drafted 16th overall by the Cowboys in the 2014 draft, Martin quickly ascended to one of the best guards in the league after converting from left tackle out of Notre Dame. He made his first of seven first-team All-Pro rosters in his rookie year, becoming the first rookie offensive linemen to earn the honors since 1947 and first Cowboys rookie to make the team since 1969.

Over the course of 11 seasons, he allowed just 20 sacks and was responsible for just seven accepted holding penalties in his career, making the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 2010s. Martin is one of 26 players in NFL history with at least seven first-team All-Pro nominations, with all other players currently residing in the Hall of Fame.

Martin, 34, was an ironman for much of this NFL career, missing just 11 regular season games through the first 10 years of his career. However, Martin fought through injuries in both ankles throughout the 2024 season. The guard eventually elected to undergo season-ending ankle surgery in December.

Dallas now finds itself needed to continue its rebuild of the offensive line. The Cowboys front office has drafted offensive linemen with two of their last three first-round picks in 2024’s Tyler Guyton and 2022’s Tyler Smith. The 2024 NFL Draft saw Dallas take three offensive linemen with eight of their picks, with third-round pick Cooper Beebe and seventh-round pick Nathan Thomas joining Guyton. The Cowboys finished last season 24th in ESPN’s pass block win rate.

Cowboys lose a legend

This isn’t a huge surprise. Going all the way back to training camp, signs pointed to this being a strong possibility. And then Martin suffered a season-ending ankle injury. While making the rounds a couple of weeks ago on Super Bowl media row, Martin said he wanted to see how he recovered from the injury before making a final decision on retiring or becoming a free agent.

Martin has been one of the greatest offensive linemen in franchise history. He’s expected to one day be in the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Something he will always be remembered for is that he was the pick several members of the Cowboys front office had to talk Jerry Jones into making. The team’s owner and general manager thought drafting a guard at No. 16 overall in 2014 was too safe. Jones preferred Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel. Eventually agreeing to go Martin over Manziel is one of the greatest final personnel decisions Jones has ever made. — Jon Machota, Cowboys beat writer

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(Photo: Ron Jenkins / Getty Images)