Report: Cowboys' Zack Martin to Retire from NFL After 11 Seasons, 7 All-Pro Honors

Zack Martin is reportedly hanging up the cleats on a Hall of Fame-caliber career.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Thursday that the guard told the Dallas Cowboys he is retiring after 11 seasons in the NFL. Martin, 34, has been with the Cowboys since they selected him with a first-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft.

Martin "met with owner and general manager Jerry Jones on Thursday to inform him of his decision," according to ESPN's Todd Archer.

To say Martin lived up to expectations during his time with Dallas would be an understatement.

He was a nine-time Pro Bowler, seven-time First-Team All-Pro selection and member of the Hall of Fame 2010s Team even though he wasn't drafted until the decade was nearly half over. He played double-digit games in each of his 11 seasons and didn't miss a game in six of them.

The Notre Dame product is widely seen as one of the best offensive linemen of his generation and will surely be in Canton, Ohio, one day among the game's greatest to ever play.

Martin blocked for Tony Romo and Dak Prescott, opened holes for Ezekiel Elliott and DeMarco Murray, and was a constant presence and leader along the offensive front throughout his career.

Dallas made the playoffs in six of his seasons, although it never reached the Super Bowl.

That he is retiring isn't that surprising, as he told Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News in June that walking away after the 2024 season was "in the realm of possibilities."

A frustrating season that saw Dallas go 7-10 and Martin limited to 10 games because of season-ending ankle surgery surely didn't do much to convince him to return for the 2025 campaign. The Cowboys are also in something of a transition period after moving on from head coach Mike McCarthy and hiring Brian Schottenheimer.

Despite a disappointing end of the career, Martin is an all-time Cowboys great and will surely be recognized as such during his retirement.