Longtime Dallas Cowboy’s star guard Zack Martin is wondering if he will play in 2025 and said Tuesday that he will make a decision in four to six weeks.
The nine-time Pro Bowler missed the last seven matches of the season due to seasonal ankle surgery.
The 34-year-old Martin said that being healthy is his first priority and then the decision on his game will follow.
“First and foremost, I want to try to be healthy. Here next month, six weeks, my wife and I have talked about it,” Martin said about their decision time. “Right now I’m focused on getting healthy and seeing how I feel with this ankle that is repaired and if I should go out and try to go again.”
The seven-time first team All-Pro acknowledged that the mental component will also take part in the decision.
“Only mentally if I’m ready to, I know what it takes to be an elite player in this league and what everything goes into it,” Martin said while he was in New Orleans for the Super Bowl. “I think I just have to get my head mentally if I want to commit myself to it for another year or not.”
Another warning is that Martin’s contract with Cowboys is up. The potential Pro Football Hall of Famer will be a free agent in March and can leave after 11 seasons and 162 regular seasonal games (all starts) in Dallas.
Mike McCarthy went as coach after the season so Dallas will have a new principal in Brian Schottenheimer, who was the offensive coordinator for the past two seasons and the staff for the last three.
“I’m excited for him, man,” Martin said. “He has made an impression on building in recent years. I think what he is doing really well is that he does a good job of having relationships in the building with everyone, whether it is an offensive player or a defensive player.
“I know that it is at the forefront of what he wants to give to the organization are the relationships within the team and in the whole people who work there, and I think he will do a good job with it.”
Part of the reason why Martin is in New Orleans is because he is Cowboys nominated for the prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. But he wishes he was in town as a player.
“I mean, it will be cool to experience it as a fan, but obviously wish we could have played in it at some point in my career.” Said Martin.
-Field level media
