Seven-time All-Pro guard Zack Martin will undergo season-ending surgery on his right ankle, Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy announced Thursday.
It’s a tough blow for the Cowboys (5-7), who will face the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday.
McCarthy acknowledged that he had a conversation with Martin this week and the latter determined that surgery was the best path to recovery.
“He will be missed,” McCarthy said. ‘We are not replacing Zack Martin, in any way.
‘He contributes a lot to the team and the team culture. We all recognize what type of player he has been here in Dallas.
‘But the kind of person he is… people gravitate towards him. “We will definitely miss him in that area for his leadership.”
Cowboys guard Zack Martin has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with an ankle injury.
Martin receives assistance off the field after being injured against the Houston Texans on November 18
Martín, 34, is in the last year of his contract. He said in June that retirement was an option after this season.
Martin, a nine-time Pro Bowl selection, was also named the Cowboys’ 2024 nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award on Thursday.
Martin last played in Dallas’ 34-10 loss to the Houston Texans on November 18.
He has started 10 games this season and the 162 he has played in since the Cowboys selected him with the 16th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.