Why did Blake Martinez retire at 29? Ex-Packers LB's business hits $5 million revenue
Blake Martinez has dedicated his life to playing football, including seven seasons in the NFL. The former NFL linebacker accumulated in excess of $28 million in earnings. However, Martinez is no longer playing in the league as he started his company Blake’s Breaks last July and permanently committed to it that November.
In terms of revenue, his business has brought in over $5 million in revenue on the collectable reselling platform Whatnot. According to the former Green Bay Packers star, a quarter of that money gets placed back into Blake’s Breaks. The remaining revenue is take-home pay for himself and his 15 contract employees.
In the third game of the 2021 season with the New York Giants, Blake Martinez suffered an ACL injury. He was cut from the Giants the following year. While rehabbing from his ACL injury, Martinez found his focus more so on selling Pokémon cards, something he picked up during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last fall, the linebacker had a choice to make when it came to his future. First, compete for a roster spot on a new team, the Las Vegas Raiders. Second, go all-in on selling Pokémon cards. Ultimately, the former Stanford Cardinals linebacker chose the latter.
Last November, Blake Martinez brought his very rare card, a Pokémon Illustrator, to the stars of the show 'Pawn Stars' as they got an up-close look. The card is said to be one of the rarest in Pokémon history, as there are only four of them ever made.
Making millions of dollars was not the only reason Martinez chose to retire from the NFL at the age of 29.
The former NFL linebacker does miss specific aspects of football. He felt especially nostalgic during the Super Bowl earlier this month. But Blake Martinez doesn't miss it enough to keep putting his body through the meticulousness of being an NFL player.
For him, there’s excitement in cultivating something new like his company Blake's Breaks. Martinez said:
“Every single day when I wake up, my shoulder doesn’t hurt and my back doesn’t hurt anymore. When all that hurts are my fingers from opening, like, 1,000 packs of cards per day, I think, ‘I’m going to keep doing this.'"
That being said, it seems that the Tucson, Arizona native has found life beyond the football field.
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