The Washington Commanders bolstered their defensive line by signing veteran Jacob Martin. Here are five things to know about the defensive end.
1. He was an accomplished athlete at Temple.
After a successful high school career that included Martin helping Cherokee Trail High School earn a 10-3 record with 44 tackles and 5.5 sacks, Martin committed Temple and was one of just two freshmen thrust into the rotation in 2014. It was the start of an exceptional career with the Owls that culminated with him being one of the best players in program history.
Martin was a core special teamer as a freshman but earned a larger role heading into his sophomore year. One year later, he earned a single-digit jersey -- a rare distinction in the program given only to a handful of players each season -- and earned his first start and recorded a career-high 18 tackles.
But Martin's biggest jump came during his senior year, particularly as a pass-rusher. He set a new career high with eight sacks to go with two forced fumbles and fumble recoveries. He received a slew of accolades for his production, including a Second Team All-American Athletic Conference selection.
Martin finished his college career with 11.5 sacks, 80 tackles, and fumble recoveries in 50 games.
2. His brother played in the NFL.
Martin joined the NFL in 2018 when he was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the sixth round, but he wasn't the only member of his family in the NFL. His brother, Josh Martin, had been in the professional ranks for five years by then.
Josh's path to the league was a bit different. He attended college at Columbia and went undrafted before signing with the Kansas City Chiefs. He spent three seasons with the team and played in 19 games but was placed on Injured Reserve in 2015.
Josh was later signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but was once again waived from IR later that year. After a brief stint with the Indianapolis Colts, Josh signed with the New York Jets and had the most successful three seasons of his career with 59 tackles and two sacks. He played in 30 games and had nine starts during the 2017 season.
Josh and Jacob never played together, as Josh retired in 2019 after being placed on IR with the New Orleans Saints, but Jacob did follow his brother and spent time with the Jets in 2022.
3. He's been all over the NFL.
Martin has been in the NFL for seven seasons, and the veteran defensive end has been all over the league in various roles.
Martin had a decent rookie season with 10 tackles and three sacks in 16 appearances but was traded along with Barkevious Mingo and a 2020 third-round pick to the Houston Texans for Jadaveon Clowney. Martin spent three seasons in Houston, where he appeared in 45 games and recorded 10.5 sacks. He earned his first start in 2020 and was later given a full-time role in 2021, when he recorded three pass breakups and two forced fumbles. The Texans elected not to re-sign Martin at the end of his contract, though, and the defensive end signed a three-year deal with the Jets in 2022.
However, Martin did not spend much time in New Jersey, because he was traded once again, this time to the Denver Broncos, in November of the 2022 season in exchange for a fourth-round pick. He played five games for the Broncos and recorded six tackles with a sack before being placed on Injured Reserve.
Martin spent time with the Texans and Colts in 2023 and signed with the Bears during the 2024 offseason. He only played in 11 games but had his most successful campaign since his final season in Houston. He concluded the year with 15 tackles, three sacks and a pass breakup with six quarterback hits.
4. He was a top 30 under 30 award recipient from Temple.
For the past six years, Temple has been honoring a select group of their alumni who are "working to change the world through a combination of grit, will and vision." Back in 2022, Martin was selected as one of 30 to make the list.
In addition to his football career, Temple chose to honor Martin because of his work as a co-host of In the Trenches, a weekly talk show in Houston. Martin, who majored in broadcast journalism, also worked with the school's Claire Smith Center for Sports Media to give students more first-hand insight into the sports media industry.
"As an athlete dealing with media and as someone who has a degree in media, I think I can give students and staff a real practical look at what every day in the NFL looks like, what every day looks like when you're behind the scenes producing ESPN or producing Fox Sports," he said.
"I try to be easily accessible, whether it's through email or LinkedIn or social media or even my cell phone. My cell phone number hasn't changed since I've had it."
You can check out Martin's bio and other recipients of Temple's 30 under 30 award HERE.
5. "My role is whatever they ask me to do."
Martin was one of the many players Washington signed this offseason to shore up its run defense and put more pressure on quarterbacks. The team hasn't given him any specifics on how he'll fit into their plans, but he's eager to contribute to the defense's improvements, regardless of what that means for him.
"My role is whatever they ask me to do," Martin said. "I've played enough ball in multiple...schemes. I'm fairly versatile on the defensive side of the ball and on special teams."
Martin said he's willing to come off the edge as a third-down pass-rusher for work inside on first and second downs. He might have to do both, because the Commanders have a need to bolster both areas. While the team became one of the best stories in the NFL last season for winning gritty games, its defense had some glaring weaknesses, particularly when it came to stopping running backs. It was solid at rushing passers in 2024 but still needed depth.
Fortunately, Martin has experience in both areas and is excited to add his skill set to what already exists in Washington. And after seeing how the team played last season, he wants to be part of the next chapter.
"It's a hot team right now," Martin said. "You've got a lot of talented players, dudes that are hungry ... You can feel the energy the guys play with. You can feel the hunger that they play with."
