The Dallas Cowboys nightmare 2024 campaign was dealt another crushing blow on Thursday when it was announced that star offensive lineman Zack Martin would be undergoing season-ending surgery on his ankle. With that decision, Martin's career in the NFL could be over, which is something head coach Mike McCarthy acknowledged after the initial news came out.

Prior to the 2024 campaign, Martin admitted that this could be his final season in the NFL, as his contract with Dallas is up, and he just turned 34 years old back in November. When asked whether this was it for Martin, McCarthy admitted that very well could be the case. But for now, everyone is focused on Martin's health, including the longtime guard himself.

“I think just like anything you just have to take a step back and deal with one thing at a time,” McCarthy said on Thursday in the wake of Martin's injury update. “That frankly was the conversation that Zack and I had. The focus is really about the surgery, what's next. I think those are all questions that I'm sure will be asked or be thought about. But really in my conversations with him, his focus is on getting the surgery and trying to do the best he can with this ankle because I think this is the third surgery he'll have on that ankle.”

Mike McCarthy, Zack Martin not worried about potential retirement currently

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Dallas Cowboys guard Zack Martin (70) lines up for the snap during the first quarter against the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium.
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Whether or not Martin retires is a question he will have to decide upon at some point during the upcoming offseason, but for now, that isn't really McCarthy's concern. The veteran head coach wants Martin to get surgery on his ankle first, and then eventually decide on his playing career when the time comes to figure that out during the offseason.

Even though Dallas has been bracing for Martin's potential retirement, that wouldn't make it any easier of a pill to swallow, as he's a nine-time Pro Bowler and seven-time First-Team All-Pro. There's a shot Martin could decide to give it one more go with the Cowboys considering how big of a disappointment this season has been for them, but there's a real possibility that he's already played his final snap in the NFL.