Dallas Cowboys guard Zack Martin will walk off into the sunset as one of the best to ever do it after an 11-year career with the NFC East franchise.

Martin was the gold standard for the offensive line room. In his early years in the league, he learned from the likes of Tyron Smith, Doug Free, Travis Frederick, and Ronald Leary to emerge as a setter in his own right.

A beacon of consistency throughout his career, Martin has nine All-Pros and seven Pro Bowls to his name in what is a glittering career.

However, when players retire, their thoughts drift back to what they might have done differently, and for Martin, there are only a couple of things that stand out.

“I wish we could have gone all the way, no doubt,” Martin said. “I think not finishing this year and ending the season on IR was a tough pill to swallow after the career that I had to know that I was probably going to be done. But having to miss those last seven or eight games, that was difficult. Everyone has this fairy tale ending to a career, and you’re going to walk off the field drenched in sweat after a hard-fought game, and unfortunately, I was in sweatpants walking off the field. That was tough, but other than that, I really don’t have any regrets.

“I’m incredibly proud of how I carried myself throughout my career and what I accomplished.”

With Martin’s legacy as a Cowboy etched in stone, his impact on the organization won’t deteriorate now that he’s retired.

We will see the younger linemen like Brock Hoffman, Tyler Guyton, Cooper Beebe, and T.J. Bass, whom Martin mentored, take the next step and forge their own path as Cowboys.

Most knew that 2024 was likely going to be Martin’s final season, and yes, it didn’t end the way he or Cowboys Nation wanted, but it doesn’t diminish what he accomplished throughout his career.

One of the best to ever do it, and he managed to play 11 years in the NFL and not have many regrets, that’s a win in our books.