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Former New York Giants linebacker Blake Martinez appears to be attempting an NFL comeback.
NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero first reported the linebacker’s workout with the Carolina Panthers, noting: “After retiring last November, the 29-year-old Martinez got his release from [the] Las Vegas [Raiders] last week and is looking to make a comeback.”
You see, Martinez had retired from the game of football to buy and sell Pokémon cards. That announcement came less than three years after the Giants awarded the former fourth-round talent over $30 million in free agency — which paid out $22.225 million after just 19 starts.
In the midst of a brief stint with the Raiders, Martinez decided to pursue his newfound business full-time.
It was doing extraordinarily well. At least, before the ex-NFL linebacker was banned from Whatnot — the virtual marketplace he was using that allows users to purchase and sell items through live streams.
The Rollercoaster of a Retirement That Led Ex-Giants LB Blake Martinez Back to the NFL
After first dipping his toes in the Pokémon trading industry while playing football, Martinez decided to go all-in last fall. The Athletic’s Zak Keefer shared his unique career change during a feature article on July 14, 2023.
“With training camp just weeks away, he started his own company, Blake’s Breaks, and it took off immediately,” Keefer detailed at the time. “Martinez has since hired nearly 20 full-time staffers, and collectively, they host 16 hours of live streams per day, establishing themselves as one of the biggest Pokémon channels on Whatnot.”
He retired officially last November, as Pelissero mentioned, and not long after revenues for Blake’s Breaks “climbed past the $11.5 million mark in less than a year” — according to The Athletic.
Unfortunately, Martinez’s meteoric rise in this niche industry was followed by a tempestuous fall.
“The streaming trading card resale company Blake’s Breaks, which is helmed by ex-NFL player Blake Martinez, has been embroiled in controversy over the last week following a series of accusations from customers and fellow card game streamers,” Alan Lopez of NintendoLife.com reported on August 5, 2023.
“Several online allege that Blake’s Breaks practices rampant scamming techniques, including theft from customer orders, sleight of hand, and trading card pack manipulation,” the writer went on.
Whatnot had finally decided to act on August 4, 2023.
We really appreciate the community’s commitment to reporting trust & safety issues. Our priority is ensuring a fair and honest experience for customers and upholding our community guidelines. After a comprehensive investigation into Blakesbreaks’ operations we have decided to…
“We really appreciate the community’s commitment to reporting trust & safety issues,” the company posted on X (formerly Twitter). “Our priority is ensuring a fair and honest experience for customers and upholding our community guidelines. 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.”
Just like that, Martinez got the boot from the Pokémon trading community.
Blake Martinez Addressed Whatnot Allegations, Pokémon Card Trading Fallout
Martinez addressed the allegations on a live stream before being banned. You can still view the video on Reddit.
“Speaking about the elephant in the room, I know the Reddit post came out today,” Martinez began, continuing: “I understand the optics of what that post looked like, I understand how it looks — trust me — [but] I know the type of business I run. I know the type of people that I hire across the board. I know the type of decisions I made across the board to make the improvements throughout Blake’s Breaks.”
Martinez also talked about having a “target on his back” as a former NFL athlete stepping into the trading card industry before noting a major staff change. He referred to his channel as an “integrity stream.”
Later, Martinez told viewers that Blake’s Breaks “wasn’t about money.” It was about “building a team, building a business and proving to everybody out there that you can do it.” He also stated that he “loves” doing this, and that his “true passion is watching [his team] succeed.”
Martinez concluded by apologizing and thanking his clientele, adding that “I never wanted to make this feel like a scam.”
Now in October, Martinez is back in pads with a tarnished reputation as a seller. He had 174 total tackles (10 for a loss), three sacks, one interception and two forced fumbles as a Giant.
His last NFL appearance came with the Raiders in Week 9 of the 2022 season. Martinez logged 11 total tackles over 68 defensive and special teams snaps.
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Ex-Giants Starter Attempts NFL Comeback After Off-Field Controversy