A veteran NFL linebacker is calling it a career. Blake Martinez of the Las Vegas Raiders went to Instagram to announce his retirement from the league. The team place him on the reserve/retired list on Thursday afternoon, and this comes a few days after he recorded 11 tackles for the Raiders in a loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“I’m announcing my retirement from the game of football,” Martinez wrote on Instagram. “I had an amazing journey with some incredible franchises, and made lifelong friendships. 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!”
Videos by PopCulture.com
Martinez, 28, was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He had a strong rookie season, registering 69 tackles, one sack and one interception in 13 games. In 2017, Martinez recorded 144 tackles which led the NFL, and he also added a career-high eight passes defended. Martinez would play with the Packers for another two seasons before signing a three-year contract with the New York Giants. In 2020, the Stanford alum notched 140 tackles in 16 games but missed nearly the entire 2021 season due to a torn ACL.
Martinez was cut from the Giants before the start of the 2022 season and signed with the practice squad of the Raiders on Oct. 4. He was promoted to the active roster three days later and played in four games with two starts. Martinez made his biggest impact with the Packers, as he became one of the team’s most reliable players.
“Blake is definitely a leader on this defense,” defensive tackle Kenny Clark said to Packers.com in April 2019. “He works hard, people see it, and that’s why they give him the role that he has as far as the communication and everything he does. Because everybody trusts him and he comes in early and works as hard as he can, we all trust him to do all that stuff.” Martinez played at Stanford from 2012-2015 and was selected to the All-Pac-12 First Team in his final season (2015) after posting 141 tackles, 1.5 sacks and six passes defended.
Most Viewed
-
(Credit: Rafa Jodar / Getty Images) -
NORTH BERGEN, NJ – AUGUST 23: Exterior view of a Walmart store on August 23, 2020 in North Bergen, New Jersey. Walmart saw its profits jump in latest quarter as e-commerce sales surged during the coronavirus pandemic (Photo by Kena Betancur/VIEWpress via Getty Images) -
TV talk show with female celebrity flat vector illustration. Woman sitting on sofa and talking with host, discussing news in studio. Videographers filming broadcasting. Television, interview concept -
A ring of vibrant marigold flowers with glowing candles at the center, set against a dark background. (Credit: Eduardo Monroy Husillos / Getty Images) -
Netflix logo is displayed during the 'Paris Games Week' on November 02, 2017 in Paris, France. (Credit: Chesnot / Getty Images) -
NEW YORK CITY – DECEMBER 19: "Toil and Trouble" – Elsbeth is thrown into the world of television after the showrunner of a long-running police procedural is brutally murdered in his office, and although it appears to be the act of a disgruntled fan, she begins to suspect the show's longtime star Regina Coburn (Laurie Metcalf) who yearns for artistic fulfillment. Meanwhile, Judge Crawford (Michael Emerson) continues to be a thorn in Elsbeth's side, on the CBS original series ELSBETH, Thursday, Dec. 19 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs). Pictured (L-R): Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni and Carra Patterson as Kaya Blanke. (Photo by Michael Parmelee/CBS via Getty Images) -
Official promotional artwork for <em>The Voice</em> -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 13: (L-R) Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom attend the 10th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on April 13, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize)
