The Carolina Panthers never got to break their Blake Martinez pack.
As first reported by ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter on Tuesday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Steelers are signing the veteran linebacker off the Panthers’ practice squad. He will now become a member of Pittsburgh’s active roster.
Martinez officially joined Carolina’s practice squad exactly two weeks ago, on Nov. 7. The 29-year-old defender, who announced his retirement from football in the middle of the 2022 campaign, was brought in by the Panthers for a workout on Oct. 25.
After Martinez was added, defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero gave reporters a tiny glimpse into how the team was able to lure him back into an NFL locker room.
“Really, it was Scott [Fitterer] and his staff that did a great job doin’ the research,” Evero said two weeks ago. “Diggin’ into him, what he’s done the last couple years. Obviously, myself, Coach [Pete] Hansen, Coach Dom [Capers] have experience with him. So, that helps. But, yeah, it’s been a collaborative effort.”
Martinez’s last appearance came for the Las Vegas Raiders back on Nov. 6, 2022.
