Last night, one of the Green Bay Packers’ previous stars was given another chance in the NFL. He had an unusual story after being released as their leading tackler at the end of the 2019 season.
Former Green Bay Packers Star Linebacker Blake Martinez Officially Signs With The Carolina Panthers
According to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, free agent linebacker Blake Martinez has signed with the Panthers. October 25th marked Martinez’s first workout with the Panthers.
After retiring, Martinez, 29, started selling Pokemon cards as a side business. The social marketplace Whatnot, however, banned Blake’s Breaks from selling cards on its site in August.
The last time he played in the NFL was in 2022 with the Raiders, where he played in four games.
In 2016, the Packers drafted Martinez in the fourth round, and he played for them for four seasons. The 144 tackles Martinez made in 2017 led the league.
A return to the NFL is not a viable choice for everyone. Martinez had 706 combined tackles and 13 sacks in 84 games during his career.
He will join a Panther defense that ranks last in the NFL, allowing 28.3 points per game. This week’s Thursday Night Football matchup pits the Chicago Bears against the Carolina Panthers. Martinez is all too familiar with this team.