FRISCO, Texas — No one in a Dallas Cowboys’ uniform is protected from the ravages of the harm bug in 2024, and that is by no means been extra clear because the weeks roll alongside. One of the newest victims of it’s Zack Martin, a perennial NFL ironman who has combated a wide range of accidents this season to stay accessible by means of the primary 11 video games.
It’s been an emotional final a number of days for the nine-time All-Pro proper guard, first listening to information he had acquired the staff’s nod as their 2024 nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
“Having that excessive honor of being the nominee for the Walter Man of the Year,” the Gob stated of the illuminated facet of his coin. “It’s very humbling, and it makes you are feeling good inside to have a look at a few of the teammates prior to now that I’ve been actually shut with which have been the nominees, and clearly Dak was the winner of it [in 2022] and to see how a lot they pour into the neighborhood and what they do for this staff, not solely on the sector however off the sector.
“So very humbled to be part of that.”
But then got here the darkish facet of that very same coin: Martin is not going to take the sector once more this season.
In that aforementioned eleventh sport, his season was ended by an harm to his proper ankle, whereas he was nonetheless coping with one to the opposing one.
Martin did not know on the time he’d be pressured to bear surgical procedure to restore the problem, working underneath the premise he’d return quickly, and regardless of lacking the 2 divisional matchups that culminated in a win over the New York Giants on Thanksgiving.
But as he ready to attempt to return for Week 14 towards the Cincinnati Bengals, he got here to the belief his ankle wasn’t therapeutic, additionally revealing it isn’t a brand new ailment; however fairly one which has nagged him for a really, very very long time now.
“It’s one thing I’ve been coping with all yr, again to coaching camp, and actually over the previous few years,” Martin stated. “But the final couple of weeks, we form of took these two weeks and tried to heal up and did some completely different remedies, and stuff like that. And then, Monday, we did some exercises on the sector and that simply did not reply very nicely.
“Britt [Brown] and I form of had a heart-to-heart dialog and determined that it was good to get this factor mounted and get wholesome.”
Martin went on to notice it will mark the second surgical procedure on the offending ankle of his profession, additionally hoping to “clear up another stuff in there as nicely” when he goes underneath the knife within the days to come back (the week of Dec. 9, to be actual), and that the harm was “not responding to therapy” over the previous two weeks main into the choice to surgically restore it.
“It’s been an attention-grabbing few days, to say the least,” stated the nine-time Pro Bowler. “Coming off these two weeks off and having a little bit further time, fascinated with actually getting ready to play within the sport the final couple of days, after which simply coming to the belief that I have to get this factor mounted and get wholesome — it is powerful. Anytime you pour all the pieces you’ve got into one thing after which come up quick on it and should do stuff like this, it sucks.
“Guys on this locker room, we put lots of time into this and yeah, it is a sh-tty scenario.”
The obvious query, one which was already hovering above his 2024 season previous to the harm however is now torrentially showering his outlook, is that if Martin will retire after this information.
“This is just not the time to have these discussions, and that is form of all I’ll say about that,” he stated with a really clear air of emotional frustration and disappointment in his voice. “It’s a troublesome scenario and a very powerful factor on my thoughts is getting wholesome, after which having these conversations down the highway. First and foremost, I need to get wholesome and possibly these conversations are a little bit bit simpler.
“… We’ll see what the long run holds.”
Whenever Martin does name it a profession, be it within the subsequent few months or additional down the highway, it is not going to solely mark the tip of one of many best NFL campaigns within the historical past of the place, but additionally that of what was as soon as a ironclad wall of offensive linemen that featured Martin, Travis Frederick and Tyron Smith.
Martin turned teary-eyed when mentioning his latest conversations with Frederick, who retired following the 2019 season attributable to his battle with Guillain–Barré syndrome.
That may very nicely point out Martin is doubtlessly seeing some writing on the wall — additionally contemplating, prior to now, it will’ve required an Act of Congress for him to overlook a sport — however, once more, he isn’t ready to make that decision in a cloud of frustration and poor well being.
You can depend on him to stay closely concerned within the Cowboys’ sport planning and the teaching up of gamers like Brock Hoffman and T.J. Bass going ahead, nevertheless, because it made utterly clear on Thursday.
Will that contain placing on a headset on sport days, although?
“If they will give me one, I’ll take one,” he stated with an enormous, ear-to-ear smile.
It’s a protected guess the Cowboys give the dwelling legend no matter he desires.
