Blake Martinez aiming for NFL comeback months after Pokémon card business scandal: report

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Blake Martinez wants another shot in the NFL, and it comes after the former linebacker’s Pokémon trading card gig hit rock bottom. 

Martinez was well known for his life after leaving the NFL following seven seasons with three teams to pursue the trading card business, especially when it came to Pokémon cards. It was reported that Martinez made $5 million selling these cards in seven months after retiring in 2022. 

However, Martinez was allegedly scamming fellow Pokémon hobbyists, and as a result, he was permanently banned from the popular card-trading marketplace, WhatNot. 

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Blake Martinez of the New York Giants gestures toward the Washington Football Team at FedExField on Sept. 16, 2021, in Landover, Maryland. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

WhatNot didn’t divulge what exactly Martinez did, but others on the platform accused him of swapping packs that have higher-value cards for less valuable ones. 

Now, the 29-year-old wants to strap his pads up again, according to NFL Network. 

Martinez’s NFL comeback began with a reported workout for the Carolina Panthers, who remain winless this season. He needed a release from the Las Vegas Raiders, who he played four games for and then announced retirement, to work out for Carolina. 

BLAKE MARTINEZ ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM NFL AFTER SEVEN SEASONS

Martinez, a fourth-round pick by the Green Bay Packers out of Stanford in 2016, was the middle linebacker every team wants at his peak. He ran sideline to sideline and tackled with ferocity, totaled at least 144 in four straight seasons – three with the Packers and one with the New York Giants. 

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