The Dallas Cowboys endured a disappointing 2024 season. The team finished with a 7-10 record after star quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending injury in Week 9.
The team will look to reload this offseason and contend in 2025 with new head coach Brian Schottenheimer. There are plenty of holes on this roster, including running back, defensive line, and the secondary.
One other need that could possibly arise is the right guard position. Zack Martin has been one of the league’s best at his position during his career, but the veteran suffered a season-ending injury in 2024 and is reportedly mulling retirement.
Martin is also slated to be a free agent, so there’s no guarantee he returns even if he does decide to play another season.
Martin still earned a solid 65.6 Pro Football Focus grade for his shortened 2024 season and has seven first-team All-Pro selections under his belt. If the veteran retires or heads elsewhere this offseason, the team will have a big hole to fill.
Ben Rolfe of Pro Football Network recently predicted one free-agent signing for every team. For the Cowboys, Rolfe selected guard Kevin Zeitler, who starred for the Detroit Lions in 2024. Regarding Zeitler’s fit in Dallas, Rolfe offered the following:
Zeitler earned a stellar 86.8 overall Pro Football Focus grade in 2024, which ranked fifth among 135 qualified guards. The veteran earns higher marks for his run-blocking than pass protection, but holds up nicely in both phases.
The veteran guard has been in the NFL since 2012 but didn’t earn his first Pro Bowl bid until 2023. Zeitler played on a one-year, $6 million deal in 2024, and Spotrac projects the veteran to get a raise to $9 million in 2025.
Over the Cap projects the Cowboys to have just over $2 million in cap space this offseason, so high-ticket options are likely off the table. However, a one-year deal for under $10 million is doable after the team inevitably makes some cuts.
If Martin indeed leaves Dallas, Zeitler would seamlessly fit in at the right guard spot.