The Dallas Cowboys suffered a brutal blow on Thursday afternoon after news broke that guard Zack Martin is retiring from the NFL.
Martin spent 11 seasons with the Cowboys from 2014 to 2024. He became one of the best offensive linemen the league has ever seen, and was part of nine All-Pro teams. But the former Notre Dame star will hang up the ball without a conference championship appearance, let alone a Super Bowl, and former wide receiver Dez Bryant has taken note.
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Dez Bryant pointed the finger at Jason Garrett
Bryant and Martin played four seasons together under head coach Jason Garrett. During Garrett’s tenure, several Dallas stars, including Tony Romo, DeMarcus Ware and Jason Witten, were seen by some as people who saw their legacy negatively affected by the Cowboys, and Martin was no exception.
It seems Bryant agrees that some of his former teammates could also have had a different career, and subtly took aim at Garrett with a cryptic post on X.
Although it’s unclear what Bryant meant by his post, the conversation surrounding Martin after his retirement implies that the Cowboys “wasted” his career. NFL fans took to social media to express their thoughts.
“Martin was the last piece left of what will always be my favorite Cowboys team of all time, and we wasted every single one of them. The 2014 Cowboys will always have a special place in my heart,” said one fan.
“The Cowboys really wasted the careers of Tyron Smith and Zack Martin, smh,” added another.
“The Cowboys really wasted Zack Martin’s career,” wrote a third.
“I hate that the Cowboys wasted the careers of Jason Witten, Tony Romo and now Zack Martin, just to name a few,” commented a fourth.
“With Martin’s retirement, the Cowboys have wasted another All-Pro talent and, in this case, a Hall of Fame career. Good job, Jerry!” posted a fifth.
“That already means the Cowboys have wasted three generational talents on the offensive line. Thank you, Mr. Martin,” added a sixth.
Although the Cowboys have had regular-season success over the past 30 years, they have seen nothing in the postseason. In fact, the last time they reached the NFC Championship Game was in the 1995 season, which is also their most recent Super Bowl run.
