Like Blake Martinez, the Pittsburgh Steelers are right where we are: sitting at home being mad. Although they managed to make the playoffs in 2023, they lost in the first round. It has now been seven years without a postseason victory, the longest drought in franchise history. The question is what to do next.
The first step is always taking stock of what happened and what is left. That’s part of the exit meeting process, in which coaches meet with each player. They discuss the season and their expectations moving forward—and potentially their role within it.
While we might not know all the details about what goes on between head coach Mike Tomlin and his players during these exit meetings, we do know how we would conduct those meetings if they were let up to us. So here are the Depot’s exit meetings for the Steelers’ roster following the 2023 season.
Player: Blake Martinez
Position: Inside Linebacker
Experience: 7 Years
Blake Martinez managed to mooch $453,056 off the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2023 season. He spent nine regular-season games plus a playoff game on the 53-man roster, logging 21 snaps in one game. All of them came in the 21-18 loss to the New England Patriots in which he recorded four tackles.
It says a lot that they played Mykal Walker, Mark Robinson, and Myles Jack ahead of him. He played as though he had never unretired, and now that he’s gotten a quick influx of cash, he’ll retire again. Yet not so long ago he was a very good player.
Between 2017 and 2020, Martinez registered 494 tackles with 34 for loss. He added 12 sacks, four forced fumbles, and three interceptions along with a partridge in a pear tree. Only an injury in 2021 at age 27 derailed his career. He retired after the 2022 season to enter the trading card business where he ran afoul and returned to football.
He signed with the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad on Nov. 6, but the Steelers poached him two weeks later. After signing, he said that the Panthers were considering promoting him to the 53-man roster after returning to football shape. That makes it sound as though he chose to join Pittsburgh.
Perhaps he did, but the decision proved a waste of the Steelers’ time. At least their actions indicate that is their opinion. Why else did he only play in one game when he was the most established inside linebacker on the roster?
The Steelers left Martinez inactive for five of nine regular-season games plus the playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. He dressed but did not play in three other games. Instead, as mentioned, they turned to Walker first, a younger journeyman. Eventually they settled on Jack, who had started for the defense the previous season before also retiring.
