Green Bay, WI – August 10, 2025 — For four seasons, he was the heart of the Packers’ defense, a tackling machine who embodied the relentless, hard-nosed style fans in Titletown have always embraced.

Week after week, he anchored the middle of the field, diagnosing plays, wrapping up ball carriers, and setting the tone for a defense built on effort and discipline. Now, he’s trading his shoulder pads for a badge.

That man is a former fourth-round pick who played 61 games (57 starts) in Green Bay, amassing 512 tackles, 10 sacks, and three interceptions while leading the team in tackles for three straight years from 2017 to 2019.

“Wearing green and gold taught me pride, resilience, and what it means to fight for something bigger than yourself. Green Bay has given me everything, and now I wear the police badge to protect its people and this city with everything I’ve got,” Blake Martinez said.

Martinez’s 2018 season saw him tie for the NFL lead in tackles, and his consistency made him a defensive cornerstone. Yet despite gaudy stats, he never received a Pro Bowl nod — a slight that never diminished his impact.

After leaving for the Giants in 2020, Martinez continued to produce at a high level before a brief stint with the Raiders in 2022. Midway through that season, at just 28, he stunned fans by retiring to run his own Pokémon card business.

That venture ended in financial collapse, and Martinez has since sought a new path. Joining the Green Bay Police Department, he says, offers him a chance to serve the same community that cheered him on for years.

For Packers fans, his No. 50 jersey will always be tied to big hits and bigger effort — and now, Blake Martinez will bring that same commitment to protecting and serving the city he once defended on the gridiron.