The Pittsburgh Steelers fan base was rocked, in a good way, Tuesday morning with the announcement of the team firing Matt Canada. And while that will remain a talking point well into Week 12, the team also has holes to fill on their roster. Mainly at the inside linebacker position.

Just like the team did with Darius Rush a few weeks ago, they are pillaging another team’s practice squad to fill a void. This time, the are taking veteran linebacker Blake Martinez off the Carolina Panthers practice squad.

This per ESPN’s Adam Schefter:

Steelers are signing veteran NFL LB Blake Martinez off the Panthers’ practice squad and on to their 53-man roster, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 21, 2023

Martinez, a 2016 4th Round pick out of Stanford by the Green Bay Packers, has played for multiple teams throughout his career. He played for Green Bay from 2016-2020 before he signed with the New York Giants. In 2021 Martinez tore his ACL, ending his season and his time with the Giants.

In October of 2022 he was signed by the Las Vegas Raiders, only to retire in November after he sold a rare Pokemon card. In February 2023, Martinez stated that he is still continuing to sell Pokémon cards and has made more than $5 million after seven months. His channel Blake’s Breaks was one of the largest-volume Pokémon channels on Whatnot.

November 6th of 2023 Martinez signed with the Carolina Panthers practice squad, and that now leads him to joining the Pittsburgh Steelers. Will he make a difference? Only time will tell. Be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 12.