NFL insider drops update on Cowboys' $84,000,000 star Zack Martin - "He feels under-compensated"

Zack Martin has been one of the best overall offensive linemen in the entire NFL during his career with the Dallas Cowboys. He has also been one of their team leaders and a crucial part of their offensive game plan. Many of their running plays are designed to directly follow the holes opened up by his dominant run blocking.

In addition to his dominant play on the football field, Martin has also been durable and reliable. In nine years with the Cowboys, he has missed just nine total games, while being selected as a first-team All-Pro six times. While all of this helped him become one of the highest-paid offensive guards in the NFL, he apparently feels as though he's being underpaid by the Cowboys.

It was recently reported that Martin plans to hold out for a new contract ahead of the 2023 NFL season. NFL insider Ian Rapoport gave a concerning update on the situation during a recent "Pat McAfee Show" episode.

Rapoport said:

"I don't get the sense we're close to a resolution on any of them. It's interesting because, like he's like one of their favorite players. Like the Cowboys, coaches, executives, they all love Zack Martin. He has been the highest-paid guard for several years. But he looks at the market, feels he's under-compensated, and is taking a really strong stance. I don't sense any traction there."

Martin signed a massive six-year contract extension worth $84 million with the Dallas Cowboys prior to the start of the 2018 season. His new deal keeps him under team control until the conclusion of the 2024 NFL season. While his deal was record-breaking at the time, the veteran has recently been surpassed by several other guards.

Zack Martin is just the eighth-highest paid OG in NFL

Zack Martin

While Zack Martin signed a record-breaking contract with the Dallas Cowboys in 2018, the next wave of elite offensive guards have surpassed his AAV. He now ranks as just the eighth-highest paid player in his position, despite being arguably the best of all of them.

Here's how Martin stacks up to other guards by AAV entering the 2023 NFL season:

1. Chris Lindstrom - $20.5 million
2. Quenton Nelson - $20 million
3. Elgton Jenkins - $17 million
4. Brandon Scherff - $16.5 million
5. Joel Bitonio - $16 million
6. Joe Thuney - $16 million
7. Wyatt Teller - $14.2 million
8. Zack Martin - $14 million

While the Cowboys already gave defensive back Trevon Diggs a massive contract during the 2023 NFL offseason, they would be wise to settle Martin's holdout. He's extremely valuable to their entire offense, including clearing holes for Tony Pollard and providing Dak Prescott pass-protection.