Zack Martin hangs it up: 4 stats that are just as great as Dallas Cowboys legend's iconic career was

Zack Martin informed the the Dallas Cowboys he is planning to retire after a remarkable career that will indubitably take him to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio in the near future.

After Martin missed seven games in his final season in the NFL due to a right ankle injury, he told reporters he would base his decision about the future after going through surgery. With his retirement being all but official now, it's as good a time as any to reflect on how great Martin's career has been so far. 

Here are four stats that are as great as the Cowboys icon's run has been through 2024: 

1. Martin earned All-Pro honors in 100% of his healthy seasons

So here's the math I came across while writing the news on Zack Martin's season-ending injury last year:

• 11 seasons in the NFL
• 7 First-Team All-Pros
• 2 Second-Team All-Pros
  

That makes only two years with no All-Pro honors of any caliber, both of which happened when he played only 10 games, including 2024. That's a wild stat by itself. With seven first-team All-Pros to his name, no guard in NFL history is more decorated. But it gets crazier.

 2. Seven career holding calls, seven All-Pro years

If you're a diehard Cowboys fan, you probably already know this one. According to Pro Football Reference, Martin has been called for seven holdings in his career. He's got seven first-team All-Pro seasons. If you want to do false starts, those are impressive as well. He's got eight of those versus nine total All-Pro honors. 

I believe it's one of the best ways to describe Martin's career. Just unbelievable consistency up front. Dare I say, perfect. 

 3. Some trivia on Odell Beckham Jr.'s rookie season

When OBJ arrived at the NFL level in 2014, he did so with a bang. He led the NFL in average yards per game with 108.8 as he hauled in 95 catches for 1,305 total yards and 12 touchdowns. Despite missing four games, Beckham Jr. finished Top 10 in all of those categories. Had he played a full season, he likely would've received a spot on that year's All-Pro team. 

Even still, he didn't run away with Offensive Rookie of the Year. His competition? Martin, who stole seven of 50 votes to end up as runner up for the award. Mike Evans finished in third place. 

 4. Complete seasons

In football, it is often said availability is the best ability. And for a long time, Martin had one of the best track records in the NFL as far as missing games goes. In four of his five years in the league, he missed zero games. The one exception was 2018, when he missed only a couple of matchups and still earned first-team All-Pro honors. 

Martin added another three full years after that. Again, consistency comes to mind when talking about the future Hall of Famer.