Linebacker Blake Martinez puts Pokemon trading card business on hold, returns to NFL with Panthers
Blake Martinez has put his embattled Pokemon trading card business on hold and is returning to the NFL
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Blake Martinez has put his embattled Pokemon trading card business on hold and is returning to the NFL.
The 29-year-old linebacker has joined the Carolina Panthers practice squad and the team is hoping he can help offer some stability to a position that has been ravaged by injuries.
The Panthers (1-7) play the Chicago Bears on Thursday night, although coach Frank Reich said he’s unsure if that will be enough time for Martinez to get up to speed given that he’s only participated in one practice.
Martinez has been out of football since last November when he abruptly announced his retirement from the Las Vegas Raiders to focus on “family and future passions.”
One of those passions included Pokemon cards.
In 2022 he started “Blake's Breaks,” a company which buys and sells Pokemon cards and reportedly did $8.3 million in revenue in just nine months, according to a CNBC report. One of his rare Pokemon cards was sold for $672,000.
But his company's reputation took a major hit in August when it was permanently removed from Whatnot — an online social marketplace that allows users to sell products to each other — after being accused of scamming buyers.
“We really appreciate the community’s commitment to reporting trust & safety issues,” Whatnot posted on 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.”
Martinez defended his company, saying there are “a
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