With $600,000 in Fines Already Levied on Zack Martin, Jerry Jones Bluntly Declares That the Team Has Moved on Without the 8x Pro Bowler

All is not well for Zack Martin at the Dallas Cowboys. The offensive guard with a whopping eight Pro Bowl selections under his belt over his nine-season career, finds himself embroiled in a contract standoff with the team’s front office.  No one is ready to budge, neither Martin nor the Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Martin is attracting serious fines of $600,000 for missing practice sessions due to the holdout. On the other hand, Jones is standing firm in his stance concerning contract negotiations.

Back in 2018, when he inked a monumental six-year, $84 million contract extension with the Cowboys, Zack Martin earned the title of the NFL’s highest-paid guard. Apparently, this fetched him an impressive average annual salary of $14 million. However, recent developments in the league have seen the Atlanta Falcons propelling Chris Lindstrom to the top of the list with a lavish five-year, $105 million deal. This makes Martin’s 2018 feat pale in comparison. With two more years to serve on his Cowboys contract, Martin believes his extensive career accomplishments warrant a substantial raise in response to the evolving market dynamics.

Moving Forward without Zack Martin: Jerry Jones Shares Approach Amidst Contract Stalemate

Zack Martin continues to remain absent from the team’s training camp. His contract holdout adventure has already amassed a staggering $600,000 in fines as Martin has managed to be absent across all 12 practice sessions. As per Dov Kleiman’s Twitter post, in response to the contract stalemate, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has adopted a resolute “injury-like” mindset to address the situation.

While discussing the holdout, Jones invoked an age-old coaching maxim, emphasizing the team’s focus on the players who are present and ready to contribute.

“You realize that not having him here, it could happen (via injury) on the next play,” said Jones. “You got to put that one on and say you just move on here without him,” he further continued.

Talking about the progress on the contract situation amidst the huge fines that Martin is incurring, Jones stated, “Not really. Surprised is really not the word there. It’s very costly. That’s just where we are. There are huge, significant ramifications happening here by anybody’s measure, financially. You say that sounds like a concern. No, I’m just trying to give you how you really have to look at it.”

Martin’s contract situation looks more complicated as Jones is currently navigating the challenge of balancing financial commitments across the roster. As the standoff continues, fans are left wondering if Martin’s demand for higher compensation will align with the team’s broader financial strategy.

Zack Martin Seeks a Raise Amidst Contract Standoff

Amidst the contract dispute between Zack Martin and the Dallas Cowboys, let’s look at the contrast between his current deal and those of other top offensive guards. While Martin is undoubtedly an exceptional player, his current contract pales in comparison to the staggering figures of the Chris Lindstrom deal. As per Spotrac, Lindstrom leads the list of highest-paid offensive guards, with his contract valued at an eye-watering $102.5 million.

This makes him the yardstick by which the others are measured. Martin, who signed a six-year, $84 million extension in 2018, is placed second on the list. However, Martin is now seeking a renegotiated contract worth around $20 million per year, a substantial raise from his existing deal.

Addressing the issue head-on, Jones made it clear via CowboysSI.com that the team has no intention of compromising or negotiating with Martin in his pursuit of an adjusted contract. Jerry Jones says,

“It’s not about precedent, it’s about facts,” Jones said. “We need the money to pay (Micah) Parsons (in the future). We need the money to pay the players that we got to pay in the future. That’s a fact.”

Zack Martin’s absence from the Cowboys’ training camp is causing ripples of uncertainty. Currently, for Jones, the decision to move forward without Martin is rooted in pragmatic financial considerations rather than precedence. Who comes out as a winner of this standoff is to be seen with the NFL 2023 season just around the corner.