The Dallas Cowboys have been hard at work finding ways to extend their superstar trio of Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons for the long-term future. For the most part, they have done a good job, as Prescott and Lamb have signed big money deals, although Parsons’ contract negotiations have been quite messy this offseason. Things likely won’t get any easier thanks to a contract quirk that recently cost the team $16.4 million.
Over the past decade, the Cowboys have done a great job drafting and developing offensive line talent. One player who found his way into that category was right guard Zack Martin, who announced his retirement from the NFL earlier this offseason after he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in December. By doing that, Martin ended up costing Dallas quite a bit of money when it comes to their 2026 salary cap.
Why Zack Martin’s Retirement Decision is so Costly for Cowboys
Dallas used the No. 16 overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft on Martin, and he immediately became one of the best interior offensive linemen in the league. Martin was selected to six straight Pro Bowls to start his career, and he found his way onto the All-Pro First Team four times during that stretch as well. Simply put, Martin was the best right guard in the league for the majority of his 11-year career.
When all was said and done, Martin earned nine Pro Bowl selections, and he was a seven-time All-Pro First Team member. His aforementioned ankle injury cut his 2024 campaign short, and it ultimately played a role in his decision to call it a career. Martin leaves the game as one of the greatest to play his position, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him find his way into the Hall of Fame one day.
While the Cowboys aren’t going to stand in the way of their franchise legend’s decision to call it a career, it has proven to be a costly decision. Thanks to Dallas’ wording of their contract restructure with Martin prior to the 2023 season, the addition of three void years at the end of his deal has resulted in the team losing $16.4 million against their salary cap in 2026, which could put the front office in a tough spot moving forward.
“The new deal added language that specified how things would be handled if Martin were to retire following the end of deal, which he in fact did this past March,” K.D. Drummond wrote for Cowboys Wire. “The deal also managed the increased cap hit by adding void years to the end of the deal, three of them to be exact, that allowed them to push the hit into the future.”
Cowboys Looking for Zack Martin’s Replacement on Offensive Line
GettyZack Martin
While Dallas knew this day would come when they negotiated Martin’s deal, it has put them in a bit of a tough spot, especially when it comes to their ongoing contract negotiations with Parsons. The team will have an extra incentive to find common ground with him this offseason (not that they already didn’t), because they will now have less money at their disposal than initially anticipated.
In the meantime, the Cowboys are looking to replace the huge hole Martin left behind on their offensive line when he retired. The hope is that Tyler Booker, who Dallas selected with the No. 12 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, can immediately slot in and take his spot, but banking on rookies to excel right away is risky business. And if Booker doesn’t pan out, that could put the Cowboys in an even more difficult position when the 2026 offseason arrives.
