After retiring from the NFL in 2022 to focus full-time on his Pokémon card business, linebacker Blake Martinez has unretired and signed with the Carolina Panthers, per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.
Originally drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 2016 Draft, Martinez provided a strong presence on Green Bay’s defense, finishing as the NFL co-leader with 144 tackles in the 2017 season.
After signing a three-year deal in free agency with the New York Giants in 2020, he tore his ACL early in the 2021 season, missed the rest of the year, and was released before the 2022 season.
Sources: Veteran LB Blake Martinez is coming out of retirement and is signing with the #Panthers, sources tell @BleacherReport.
Martinez, who has over 700 career tackles and 39 TFLs, was last with the Raiders after spending his first six years with the Packers and Giants. pic.twitter.com/3SpZlQMPHt
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) November 6, 2023
After being released by New York, Martinez signed a contract with the Las Vegas Raiders. Originally a practice squad player, he was activated in October and played four games with the club. He announced his retirement in November 2022 after he acquired and sold a rare Pokémon card.
Martinez spent most of 2023 continuing to flip Pokémon cards, eventually starting a channel on the social marketplace app Whatnot where he had his own show, Blake’s Breaks, where he would break open packs of Pokémon cards.
In August 2023, Whatnot banned Martinez for allegedly rigging various giveaways.
The Panthers play the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football this week, so it’s unlikely that Martinez will be in uniform for the short week.
