OXNARD, California – This past weekend’s preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars and a face-to-face discussion with Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones helped resolve the standoff over a revised deal with All-Pro right guard Zack Martin.
Soon after Jones arrived in Oxnard, California, after a three-week standoff, Martin told ESPN, “He was great.” We were able to spend time alone together, and I believe that was beneficial. Just being able to speak face to face was helpful. We started talking about this and the stats and where we eventually headed and I think that’s what ultimately made both him and I feel more at ease.
According to insiders, Martin’s new contract guarantees him $36 million over the following two seasons, an increase over the $27.5 million he was expected to get in 2023 and 2024. Full guarantees apply to both years. With the revised agreement, Martin jumps up to third place among guards, trailing only Chris Lindstrom of Atlanta and Quenton Nelson of Indianapolis, who set the market at $20.5 million and $20 million, respectively.
Martin was assessed a $50,000 fine for his absence, which the team cannot reverse or waive. However, Schefter noted that he was prepared to decline since he thought he was “woefully underpaid relative to the market.”
“I just feel like I’ve been here a while. Martin applauded his agent, R.J. Gonser, saying, “I’ve accomplished some fantastic things but simply felt like where I was in the market that it’s something that had been merited and felt passionately about it. Naturally, it took some time, but the Joneses have my sincere gratitude. We were able to come up with a solution that suited us both after we got chatting and felt a connection.
Jones was adamant at the outset of training camp that the Cowboys did not need to renegotiate Martin’s deal and added that they required the funds for future acquisitions like Micah Parsons.
When you enter the ring, you must be prepared for everything, someone once said to Martin, according to Martin. “I never interpreted it personally. He must say what must be said. I made an effort to be quiet throughout because I never wanted this to turn into a media spat. I believe he valued that.
For salary cap purposes, a voidable year was added to Martin’s contract, but he is still under contract until 2024.
“I never wanted to play anywhere else,” Martin said. “And that’s when I’d get some anxiety or have a rough day during this thinking about that. That’s what it came down to: I don’t want to play anywhere else. I don’t want to play for another organization. I don’t want to move my family and was just hoping that something would get done, and luckily we were able to get together and figure it out.”
Martin, who turns 33 in November, has made the Pro Bowl in eight of his nine years and has been named an All-Pro six times as he chases Larry Allen for the designation as best offensive lineman in team history. He said he will take it “year by year” after 2024 to decide how much longer he’ll play.
Martin has been working out with private offensive line trainer Duke Manyweather of OL Masterminds at Sports Academy at The Star, next to the Cowboys’ practice facility. The Cowboys will work Martin, who missed a good portion of the offseason program with a calf injury, slowly into practice even though starters are not expected to play in any of the preseason games.
The Cowboys’ season starts Sept. 10, at the New York Giants.
“Sounds like I’ll get some time to get my legs underneath me, working in individuals, get some condition and work my way into it,” Martin said. “We’ll see. I feel pretty confident in the shape I’m in but nothing mimics football shape than actually playing football. Hopefully a week, 카지노사이트킴 two weeks I’ll start feeling good and start feeling like I’m ready to rock.”