Published
Oct. 26, 2023, 10:24 a.m. ET
Blake Martinez wants a second NFL chance with his second career in jeopardy.
The former Giants linebacker appeared to be the poster boy for post-NFL success as he reportedly made $5 million in seven months trading Pokémon cards after he retired in 2022.
In August, though, Martinez was accused of scamming fellow enthusiasts and was permanently banned from WhatNot — the predominant marketplace for Pokémon buyers and sellers.
Two months later, the 29-year-old is attempting an NFL comeback and worked out for the winless Panthers on WednesdayNFL Network reported.
Martinez said in an Instagram video in June that he had “no itch” to return to play, instead planning to focus on his business.
The Giants signed Martinez to a three-year, $30 million deal before the 2020 season and he played in all 16 games that year, totaling 151 tackles.
Blake Martinez was celebrated for his Pokemon business.Blake’sBreaks/Instagram
Martinez tore his ACL three games into the 2021 season and was released after the year.
Martinez battled to make the Raiders roster and played four games with them in 2022 before deciding to pursue his Pokémon venture full time with his company Blake’s Breaks — a side gig that he started during the early days of COVID.
“Every single day when I wake up, my shoulder doesn’t hurt and my back doesn’t hurt anymore,” Martinez told CNBC Make It. “When all that hurts are my fingers from opening, like, 1,000 packs of cards per day, I think, ‘I’m going to keep doing this.’”
Blake Martinez is now attempting an NFL comeback.Getty Images
However, the feel-good story took a sour turn when WhatNot released a statement saying they were refunding sales Martinez was involved in and banning him from the platform.
While the platform did not lay out any specific claims of wrongdoing, other users accused him of swapping out packs of higher-value cards for less valuable ones.
Blake Martinez holding a box of Pokemon cards.Instagram/@blakes.breaks
“After a comprehensive investigation into Blakesbreaks’ operations, we have decided to permanently remove the seller from our platform, including the individual employees involved in misconduct,” WhatNot’s statement read.
“We have refunded all buyers impacted by the infractions. If you believe you were affected by an incident on his streams, please submit the details here, and we will investigate.”
Blake Martinez played two seasons with the Giants.Getty Images
Martinez starred at Stanford before being selected in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Packers.
He anchored the middle of Green Bay’s defense for four years before joining the Giants.
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2023-10-26 14:24:00
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