The Green Bay Packers are preparing for their Week Eight matchup Vs. the Minnesota Vikings. The Packers (2-4) are coming off a brutal loss to the Denver Broncos while the Minnesota Vikings (3-4) are coming off a huge win over the San Francisco 49ers.
However, news surfaced this week that was focused on a former leading tackler for the Packers. The seven-year NFL veteran is trying to put back on the pads and get another chance in the league.
Former Green Bay Packers Leading Tackler Blake Martinez Announces He Is Coming Out Of Retirement
In the midst of a second career in jeopardy, Blake Martinez wants another opportunity to play in the NFL.
After retiring in 2022, the former Giants linebacker made $5 million trading Pokémon cards in seven months.Martinez was permanently banned from WhatNot in August after he was accused of scamming fellow Pokémon fans.
NFL Network reported that two months later, the 29-year-old worked out for the winless Panthers.During an Instagram video in June, Martinez said he didn’t feel the urge to play again, instead planning to focus on his business. That plan has clearly changed.
From 2017 and 2020 Martinez had four straight seasons of 144+ tackles. His career high was 155 in 2019. Martinez was the center of the Packers defense for years, when fans heard he was returning to the league they reacted accordingly on social media:
Clearly, fans aren’t going to let Martinez down easy for the scandal he was involved with. However, if he is able get back on the field and produce at a similar level he did before he can be a very solid piece. It will be interesting to see if the Panthers or any other team takes a chance on him.
