Dallas Cowboys: Zack Martin’s contract details revealed, $84M payday
Details about the contract now agree upon by Dallas Cowboys right guard Zack Martin have been revealed. And the numbers are staggering.
There was little doubt that Dallas Cowboys‘ All-Pro right guard Zack Martin would become the highest paid player at his position this offseason. Now, we know the exact numbers.
According to several sources, the 27-year old Martin has agreed to terms on a six-year, $84 million extension. A whopping $40 million of that deal is guaranteed. Martin will also apparently receive $20 million as a signing bonus. This new deal should make the former first round pick and four-time Pro Bowler a Cowboy until 2024.
With an average annual salary of $14 million, Martin becomes the second highest paid offensive lineman in the NFL, regardless of position. The highest being tackle Nate Solder, who signed a massive four-year, $62 million deal to join the New York Giants earlier this year.
This new deal in Dallas does exceed the one given to Andrew Norwell by the Jacksonville Jaguars in March, previously the priciest guard in the NFL. Norwell signed a five-year, $66.5 million contract with $30 million guaranteed.
According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, the Martin deal will create approximately $3 million in salary cap space. That could open the door for the Cowboys to address some of the other needs on their roster. A couple of positions of need include free safety, defensive tackle and tight end.
Somewhat controversially, the Cowboys opted to draft Martin 16th overall in the 2014 NFL Draft over former Heisman-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel out of Texas A&M. Ever since, Zack has been proving Dallas right in that decision, earning a Pro Bowl nomination and either a first or second team All-Pro nod for every single season he has been with the Cowboys. Manziel is currently playing with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL.
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With the extension of Zack Martin, the Dallas Cowboys have insured they will possess one of the top offensive lines in the NFL for the foreseeable future. Now, that sizable investment must pay off in the standings.