National Football League

Cowboys All-Pro guard Zack Martin could reportedly hold out of training camp

Updated Jul. 19, 2023 10:57 a.m. ET

The Dallas Cowboys could be without one of their top players when they open training camp next week.

Zack Martin might not report because he's unhappy with his contract situation and because the Cowboys haven't shown any willingness to fix it, ESPN reported Wednesday. The star guard thinks he's "woefully underpaid relative to the market."

Entering the 2023 season, Martin's $14 million average annual salary is the ninth-highest among all NFL guards. He sits $6.5 million behind Falcons guard Chris Lindstrom, who has the highest average annual salary at the position at $20.5 million. Martin is also sixth among guards in guaranteed money at $32 million. That's $9 million less than Colts guard Quenton Nelson's $41 million guarantee in his contract.

Martin, 32, is entering the fifth season of a six-year, $84 million contract he signed prior to the 2018 season. The Notre Dame product has been one of the league's best guards since the Cowboys selected him in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He has been a Pro Bowler in eight of his nine seasons and has been named first-team All-Pro six times, earning that honor in four of the past five years.

He also joined the illustrious Madden 99 club Wednesday, earning a 99 overall rating for Madden NFL 24. He's the first guard to earn that honor in 20 years, when then-Cowboys lineman Larry Allen had a 99 overall rating in 2003.

The Cowboys have a number of contract situations they're dealing with at the onset of the 2023 season. In addition to Martin asking for a pay bump, Dallas is working on extensions for CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs and Terence Steele as all three are nearing the end of their rookie contracts. Team owner and GM Jerry Jones also recently discussed restructuring Dak Prescott's contract.

Running back Tony Pollard will be playing on a $10.09 million franchise tag in 2023 after he and the Cowboys couldn't agree on an extension prior to Monday's deadline, postponing contract talks until after the season.

FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience