As recently as 2019, Blake Martinez had been one of the NFL’s best tacklers. In 2022, he announced his retirement in the middle of the season. Martinez, 28, has announced his retirement on his Instagram account. He was most recently playing for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022.
Congrats on your retirement, @big__blake50! And good luck on your new journey. ☠️ pic.twitter.com/GeNF5Ej3H6
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) November 10, 2022
“I’m announcing my retirement from the game of football! I had an amazing journey with some incredible franchises, and made lifelong friendships,” the Instagram caption reads. “I have chosen to step away from this career at this time to focus on my family and future passions! I am excited for this new journey and appreciate all the fans and organizations that have supported me throughout the years!”
Blake Martinez is most known for his years with the Green Bay Packers. He was drafted 131st overall in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Stanford. During his time in Green Bay, Martinez started all 16 games in three out of the four seasons he spent with the team, totaling 522 tackles. He also had a career-high five sacks in 2018.
His play in Green Bay earned him a three-year, $30.7 million contract from the New York Giants in 2019, where he played two seasons. However, after starting 64 straight games, he tore his ACL in 2021. The Giants cut Martinez following the 2022 preseason. He then signed with Las Vegas, starting two out of four games. In his last career start in Week 9, Martinez had 11 combined tackles in the team’s 27-20 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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