Blake Martinez is making his way back to the NFL only one year after becoming involved in a Pokémon trading card scandal that ruined his retirement plans.
According to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, Martinez will sign with Carolina after working out for the team on October 25.
Blake Martinez #54 of the Las Vegas Raiders celebrates after making a tackle in the second quarter of the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field on November 06, 2022, in Jacksonville, Florida. (Eric Espada/Getty Images)
Martinez left the NFL nearly a year ago with the intention of making a living trading Pokemon cards. However, Martinez became embroiled in a scandal as a trader and seller of Pokémon cards that resulted in him being banned from WhatNot, a social media marketplace heavily trafficked by Pokémon card buyers.
A competitor holds a deck while playing Pokemon cards during the 2022 Pokémon World Championships at ExCel on August 18, 2022, in London, England. (John Keeble/Getty Images)
A 2016 draft pick of the Green Bay Packers, Martinez played four years in Green Bay and two years for the Giants. He last suited up for the Raiders in 2022, where he played four games before retiring to pursue his Pokémon venture.
Martinez totaled 144 tackles in 2017 and 2018 and recorded 159 stops in 2019.