Dallas Cowboys right guard Zack Martin, who has been a staple of the offensive line since being drafted in 2014, might face his football mortality over the next couple of months.

Having been dealing with a host of injuries this season, Martin has seen an ankle injury, which hasn’t progressed the way that athletic trainer Britt Brown had hoped, end his season with the decision to have surgery to fix it being made this week.

Given Martin’s age, it is natural to think that this might be the seven-time All-Pro’s last season, and ending it on the sidelines is something that Zack isn’t all that familiar with.

“I don’t think it’s really hit me, this is new territory for me,” Martin said. “I think I’ve had one other year where the 2020 year where I missed the last six or seven games but other than that, I’ve been out there and been able to finish the year, so it’s kind of new territory, and I haven’t really I haven’t got gotten that far mentally yet.”

Given where Martin is at in his career, coupled with now having his season end due to mounting injuries, the 2-word take – “new territory” – says a great deal.

There could be a cause for sitting back and reflecting on what he’s accomplished, but he has a constant reminder by the number of stars that sit underneath his name on his locker which indicate the Pro Bowls made. That would be nine.

“I got a ton of pride in what I’ve done and what I’ve accomplished this league,” Martin added. “We’ll see what the future holds, but a ton of pride.”

There will be a lot to play out over the coming months, with Martin stating he is scheduled for surgery next week and head coach Mike McCarthy revealing that he has told the All-Pro guard to focus on his rehab, not his future.