Raiders linebacker Blake Martinez suddenly retires to focus on family, other passions

Linebacker Blake Martinez is calling it quits. After seven NFL seasons, but with only seven games played in the past two, Martinez has decided to retire.

Notably, Martinez just signed with his newest team, the Las Vegas Raiders, over a month ago. Making the timing of his retirement a bit stranger is the fact that he led the Raiders in tackles with 11 in Las Vegas’ last game, a 27-20 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“I’m announcing my retirement from the game of football. I had an amazing journey with some incredible franchises, and made lifelong friendships,” Martinez wrote on Instagram. “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!”

Martinez was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft after an All-American college career with the Stanford Cardinals.

He played four seasons in Green Bay, largely leading the team in tackles, before signing a contract with the New York Giants in 2020. He suffered a torn ACL early in 2021 for New York and was ultimately released before the 2022 season.

Martinez played in four games this season for the Raiders, notching 20 total tackles.