Zack Martin agrees to reworked contract with Cowboys, ready to get ‘back to work’

Zack Martin’s holdout from Dallas Cowboys training camp is coming to an end as the All-Pro guard has reached an agreement on the reworked contract he’s wanted.

Martin will now be paid “north of $18 million in each of the next two years,” according to ESPN. And those years are fully guaranteed.

Martin confirmed that he has reached common ground with the Cowboys, simply posting to X (formerly Twitter): “Back to Work.” Cowboys fans flooded his comments with enthusiasm that one of the key offensive line pieces for their team will be back with his teammates. 

Zack Martin of the Dallas Cowboys gets set against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium on December 24, 2022, in Arlington, Texas. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Martin was set to make $13.5 million for the 2023 NFL season and $14 million for 2024, but he believed he deserved more. ESPN reported that Martin thought he was “woefully underpaid” compared to what the market was for the top players at his position.

For example, Chris Lindstrom of the Atlanta Falcons was paid $20.5 million per year while the Indianapolis Colts gave Quenton Nelson a contract worth $20 million per season.

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With this coming just before training camp, it became a big storyline for the Cowboys, who obviously would rather the focus be on camp battles and preparing for the regular season.

Owner Jerry Jones commented on Martin’s situation, saying that adjusting Martin’s contract could impact negotiations with star players like Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb, who also could see extensions soon.

Zack Martin #70 and Tyler Biadasz #63 of the Dallas Cowboys block during a game against the Chicago Bears on October 30, 2022, in Arlington, Texas. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

But the 33-year-old Martin was able to find a contract restructure to his liking, and the Cowboys certainly love that their leader on the O-line is back in action.

His Cowboys teammates have backed him up, with quarterback Dak Prescott saying, “Pay the man,” when asked about Martin’s absence in camp.

Defensive lineman DeMarcus Lawrence also wasn’t concerned about Martin’s absence, believing something was in the works.

“Zack’s going to be OK. The Cowboys are going to be OK. And I’ll see him soon,” he said via ESPN.

Zack Martin of the Dallas Cowboys warms up against the Indianapolis Colts on December 4, 2022, in Arlington, Texas. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Martin has been a Pro Bowler in eight of his nine NFL seasons, being named an All-Pro in six of those years.