The off-season is known as the contract restructuring period, during which many players receive offers that are superior to their expectations while others merely wish to receive a respectable one. In this regard, the Dallas Cowboys hero Zack Martin has discovered his name on the latter list.
The Dallas squad began their training on July 26th, but their veteran player is allegedly missing the session since he hasn’t received his desired amount. Nevertheless, Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones still appears resolute and refuses to budge on the players’ requests.
Jerry Jones takes firm stance on Zack Martin’s contract demands
Since the Cowboys selected Martin in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Martin has seemingly done almost everything to embellish the team’s defense. The 32-year-old has played for the team for nine seasons, and in eight of those seasons, he was recognized with Pro Bowl accolades.
As a result, Jones was asked about Zacks’ contract restructuring during the NFL’s Back Together Week. The franchise owner used strong words in his reaction; expressing full confidence in the front office’s decision to find a resolution to the issue.
Jones also stated that the six-time All-Pro guard had received every desired contract to date since being selected. Because of this, it sounded as though Martin ought to make room for the Cowboys, just as Aaron Rodgers just did for the New York Jets.
“He’ll come to camp when he comes to camp. There’s no resolution. There are a lot of consequences if he doesn’t. … He’s been at the top of the money all the way through, drafted high and got a lot of money, got a lot of money over the years. It’s just hard to get it all. The bottom line is, nothing needs to happen,” said Jerry.
The Cowboys selected 7 rookies in the 2023 draft, and in response, Jerry persuaded the Cowboys to offer them new contracts. He also stated that Dallas is opposed to raising Martin’s pay since they must deal with a contract extension for Micah Parsons,
“It’s about facts. We need the money to pay Parsons. We need the money to pay the players we want to pay in the future. It’s a fact.”
How much does Zack Martin get paid?
With the Cowboys, Zack agreed to a 6-year, $84,000,000 deal that features a $20,000,000 signing bonus and $40,000,000 in guaranteed money. He still has two years left on his current contract, which pays him $14 million annually.
He presently holds the eighth-highest average yearly income among all guards thanks to the contract. However, the Cowboys did not approve of the 32-year-old’s contract when he was asking for a raise. As a result, the linebacker didn’t show up to the training camp, for which he will be penalized $50,000 for each day of camp missed.
The fact that the six-time first-team All-Pro’s current contract has no guaranteed money left is also cause for concern. He has been in excellent health, missing just nine games since joining the league in 2014, but his contract is $7 million less than Chris Lindstrom of the Atlanta Falcons.
It will be interesting to see if the Cowboys finally give their veteran guy Zack some thought, much like the Ravens did with Lamar Jackson.
