{"id":31653,"date":"2025-02-06T01:38:54","date_gmt":"2025-02-06T01:38:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=31653"},"modified":"2025-02-06T01:38:54","modified_gmt":"2025-02-06T01:38:54","slug":"cowboys-news-zack-martins-future-in-the-nfl-and-with-dallas-up-in-the-air-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=31653","title":{"rendered":"Cowboys news: Zack Martin\u2019s future in the NFL, and with Dallas, up in the air"},"content":{"rendered":"

Zack Martin\u2019s return to football remains up in the air; so does his return to the Cowboys – Calvin Watkins, Dallas Morning News<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Dallas
\nZack Martin made it known he\u2019s also a free agent and could play elsewhere this offseason.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s understandable one of the longest-tenured players on the Cowboys\u2019 roster is still trying to figure out his playing status for 2025.<\/p>\n

Martin, the seven-time All-Pro guard, is six weeks out from ankle surgery on a joint that cost him mobility during the 2024 season and limited him to just 10 games.<\/p>\n

When it comes to his future, Martin said he\u2019s not sure what he might do. He could retire. He could play for the Cowboys. He could play for somebody else.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think people forget I\u2019m a free agent, too,\u201d Martin told The Dallas Morning News from the site of Super Bowl LIX on Tuesday. \u201cI\u2019ll figure out if I am, where I\u2019m playing and if I\u2019m not, then obviously you guys will hear about that. Just trying to get healthy and make a decision down the road.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Martin and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence are the longest-tenured players on the current roster. Both were drafted in 2014: Martin in the first round and Lawrence in the second round.<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t seem long ago that Stephen Jones convinced his father, Jerry Jones, the Martin was a better draft selection than Johnny Manziel.<\/p>\n

Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey open to negotiating extension with team this offseason – Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dallas might have to extend Micah Parsons and their All-Pro kicker before training camp.<\/p>\n

For Aubrey, it seems like yesterday that he was arriving at training camp having to earn a spot on the roster for the 2023 season. A little over 16 months later, the conversation has shifted to his name among the elites around the league.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a dream come true,\u201d Aubrey said. \u201cIt feels like it\u2019s gone by incredibly fast. I\u2019m just trying to sit back and enjoy the ride. Just trying to survive week-to-week, then I look backwards and [see] I had a good year.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

One big difference for Aubrey heading into his third season will be the absence of special teams coordinator John Fassel, who departed Dallas for the same position with the Tennessee Titans.<\/p>\n

Fassel discovered Aubrey when he was playing in the USFL for the Birmingham Stallions and developed him over his first two seasons.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a good friend, a mentor,\u201d Aubrey said. \u201cHe\u2019s someone who discovered me and started my NFL career off right. I came into training camp battling for position, and they could\u2019ve strung that decision out for a long time, but they made it nice and quick for me. It gave me a lot of confidence and built me up. He gave me every opportunity to succeed.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

While Fassel has been crucial in his development, Aubrey said that his kicking coach \u2013 the same one he\u2019s had since he started kicking in 2020 \u2013 will remain the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, it\u2019s a separate kicking coach, and that\u2019s the way it works best,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m not sure how it works outside of Dallas, I know other coaches might have more of a hands-on approach. But for me, I\u2019ve got a coach I\u2019ve worked with for five, six years now. He knows me as well as I know me.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Desired continuity may keep Cooper Rush in Dallas – Jess Haynie, Blogging the Boys<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Cowboys must figure out the quarterback position behind Dak Prescott, with Cooper Rush and Trey Lance entering free agency.<\/p>\n

Not only does Rush bring consistent competence on the field but has been praised for assisting the coaches and the starter with game preparation during the week.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s even been projected as a future QB coach once his playing career ends.<\/p>\n

That only increases his value as a roster member, even if there are legitimate complaints about his upside when he actually plays.<\/p>\n

No team better understands Rush\u2019s lesser-seen qualities than the Cowboys. While Kellen Moore may try to get him over to New Orleans, assuming Moore even gets that head coaching job, Dallas should have the deepest appreciation of Rush\u2019s value.<\/p>\n

So if that\u2019s the case, why is there even a question of Rush getting a new contract?<\/strong><\/p>\n

With Brian Schottenheimer\u2019s promotion and Klayton Adams\u2019 arrival as offensive coordinator, plus a new quarterbacks coach still TBD, there are lots of new opinions and perceptions in the coaching staff.<\/p>\n

But if a degree of continuity is what the front office valued in making Schottenheimer head coach, keeping Rush could help take that further. Still, the new guys may have strong feelings about the type of backup they want.<\/p>\n

If mobility is something they particularly desire, re-signing Trey Lance might become preferable to Rush.<\/p>\n

For that matter, Dallas might let both walk and just go with Will Grier as a cheaper backup, or bring in other guys who have worked with Schottenheimer or Adams at previous stops.<\/p>\n

The coaching staff changes create more variables for the offseason, particularly when it comes to free agency.<\/p>\n

Dak Prescott may also have a say in this. It\u2019s clear that he influenced the promotion of Schottenheimer, so what if he also throws his support behind Rush?<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve worked together for the better part of a decade, with Rush being the primary backup for at least six full seasons.<\/p>\n

With a new OC and position coach coming, Prescott may want a guy he trusts to help him digest the changes.<\/p>\n

Cowboys blockbuster trade proposal would land $80 million All-Pro in Dallas – Aaliyan Mohammed, Sporting News<\/p>\n

Does Jerry Jones view Cooper Kupp as an \u201call-in\u201d addition to the roster for 2025?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Los Angeles Rams star receiver Cooper Kupp revealed on X that the Rams are seeking a trade for him. Kupp is a former Super Bowl MVP and is one of the most talented players in the league. Blacher Report\u2019s Gary Davenport proposed this trade that would bring Kupp to the Cowboys:<\/p>\n

Cowboys receive<\/strong>: wide receiver Cooper Kupp<\/p>\n

Rams receive:<\/strong> 2025 third-round pick and conditional 2026 pick<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Dallas is going to challenge the NFC champion Eagles and rising Commanders in the NFC East, the team has to plug that hole opposite Lamb at wide receiver,\u201d wrote Davenport. \u201cBut with the Cowboys upside-down against the salary cap, making improvements won\u2019t be easy. Not easy doesn\u2019t mean impossible, though. Kupp doesn\u2019t have any money guaranteed on his deal for 2026, so getting him to restructure probably won\u2019t be that difficult. That gets Dallas some short-term relief.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Kupp was an All-Pro in 2021 when he won the Triple Crown. He signed a three-year, $80 million extension in 2022 and will be a free agent in 2027. His biggest issue has been injuries.<\/p>\n

He has missed 18 games in the last three seasons but was on pace to break 1,000 yards in all three seasons. When healthy, he is one of the most talented players in the league.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Zack Martin\u2019s return to football remains up in the air; so does his return to the Cowboys – Calvin Watkins, Dallas Morning News Zack Martin made it… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":31661,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\nCowboys news: Zack Martin\u2019s future in the NFL, and with Dallas, up in the air - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=31653\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cowboys news: Zack Martin\u2019s future in the NFL, and with Dallas, up in the air - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Zack Martin\u2019s return to football remains up in the air; 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