Report: Blake Martinez to Return to NFL, Sign Panthers Contract After Pokémon Scandal

Nearly a year after retiring from the NFL to pursue a career selling Pokémon cards, linebacker Blake Martinez is reportedly making a comeback.

B/R's Jordan Schultz reported Monday that Martinez has agreed to sign with the Carolina Panthers. Per Justin Terranova of the New York Post, Martinez was involved in a scandal as a trader and seller of Pokémon cards that resulted in him being banned from WhatNot, which is a social media marketplace that is popular among Pokémon card buyers.

A fourth-round pick in the 2016 draft, Martinez played four seasons for the Green Bay Packers and two seasons for the New York Giants. He signed with the Las Vegas Raiders midway through the 2022 season and appeared in four games before announcing his retirement on Nov. 10.

Two weeks before retiring, Martinez sold a 1998 Pokémon Japanese CoroCoro Rare Holofoil Illustrator Pikachu card at auction for $672,000. In March, Megan Sauer of CNBC reported that Martinez's company, Blake's Breaks, generated over $6.5 million in revenue in just eight months by selling Pokémon cards.

However, WhatNot released a statement in August that said Blake's Breaks had been "permanently" removed as a seller on the platform and refunds were given to "all buyers impacted by the infractions." Erich Richter of the New York Post reported at the time that the company had faced allegations of scamming buyers by "swapping out higher-level packs for lesser-value packs."

Returning to the NFL is a fallback option that isn't afforded to just anyone. Martinez appeared in 84 career games and recorded 706 combined tackles and 13 sacks. He tied for the league lead in tackles in 2017.

The 29-year-old is joining a Panthers defense that is tied with the Denver Broncos for last in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing 28.3 points per game. Carolina will be taking on the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football.