Steelers sign LB Blake Martinez away from Panthers practice squad
The Pittsburgh Steelers are adding some depth to their linebacker unit on Tuesday, as they’ll sign Blake Martinez off of the Carolina Panthers practice squad. In the move first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Pittsburgh has added the eight-year veteran who has started 78 of the 84 games he’s played in. Martinez was with the […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers are adding some depth to their linebacker unit on Tuesday, as they’ll sign Blake Martinez off of the Carolina Panthers practice squad.
In the move first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Pittsburgh has added the eight-year veteran who has started 78 of the 84 games he’s played in. Martinez was with the Las Vegas Raiders for four games last year before stepping away from football for a bit.
In 2016, the Green Bay Packers selected Martinez in the fourth round out of Stanford. He went on to give the Packers four pretty productive seasons, including 2017 when he led the NFL with 144 tackles.
Following his time with Green Bay, Martinez was with the Giants for two seasons. The veteran linebacker had 151 tackles in 2020, the last time that he played a full season. Over the last two years, Martinez has played in a combined seven games.
The move comes after the Steelers had already brought Myles Jack back to add some depth. This season, the Steelers have watched LB Cole Holcomb and LB Kwon Alexander go down to season-ending injuries.
Martinez could potentially contribute to the Steelers’ defense as soon as Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
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