What happened to Zack Martin? Cowboys' offense delivered a major blow as Pro Bowler goes out for the season

Amid an already tough 2024 NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys have received terrible news regarding one of their best players. Zack Martin, one of the cornerstones of the franchise, will miss the rest of the campaign due to a season-ending surgery.

Mike McCarthy revealed (via Cowboys reporter Patrik Walker) that Martin won't take the field again this campaign as he's headed to the operating room to repair his right ankle.

"He's gonna be missed," said McCarthy. "We're not gonna replace Zack Martin, by any means. … He brings so much to the team and the team culture. We all recognize what kind of player he"s been here in Dallas, but the type of person he is — people gravitate to him. His leadership, he'll definitely be missed in that area."

Martin dealt with several injuries before deciding to cut his season short. His back and shoulder had previously bothered him before his ankle forced him to make a decision.

Dallas Cowboys lose another key player to injuries

The Dallas Cowboys were hopeful that this season could be similar to the 2023 campaign and that they could give the Philadelphia Eagles a run for their money in the regular season. None of that happened and instead, the Cowboys boast a 5-7 record entering Week 14, and if they don't improve, that number could look worse at the end of the season.

Injuries have been ruthless with them too, preventing Mike McCarthy from having a healthy squad every week. The most painful is quarterback Dak Prescott, who suffered a hamstring injury against the Atlanta Falcons that ended his season.

Micah Parsons also missed a couple of games with an injury while DeMarcus Lawrence has missed several weeks too. Safety Markquese Bell, cornerback Caelen Carson and offensive tackle Asim Richards have all been placed on injured reserve in recent weeks, putting the Cowboys in a complex position ahead of the final stretch of the season.

If that wasn't enough, CeeDee Lamb has been dealing with shoulder issues, although he's maintained that he would do everything in his power to stay on the field.

Dallas faces the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, aiming to beat another struggling team to keep their playoff hopes alive.