This year was the AFC South’s turn to participate in the International Player Pathway program, which allows teams to carry an additional international player on their practice squads. This year’s players include (via the NFL on Twitter):
- Colts: DB Marcel Dabo, Germany
- Texans: DL Adedayo Odeleye, Nigeria/UK
- Titans: TE Thomas Odukoya, Netherlands
- Jaguars: DB Ayo Oyelola, UK
Per the league’s website, the “program aims to provide elite international athletes the opportunity to compete at the NFL level, improve their skills, and ultimately earn a spot on an NFL roster.”
These players will sit on their respective team’s roster until the end of training camp, at which time the teams will be granted “an international player practice squad exemption.” Assuming these players land on the practice squad, they’ll be ineligible to be activated during the 2022 campaign.
Patricipants in last year’s program included tight end Bernhard Seikovits (Cardinals), offensive lineman Alfredo Gutierrez (49ers), offensive lineman Max Pircher (Rams), and linebacker Aaron Donkor (Seahawks).
I would think being unable to time travel will be what makes them ineligible for 2021 rosters.
But it’s nice of the Colts to seek out someone Bernhard Raimann can talk to in German.
Why wouldn’t they tell us what happened to the guys who were in this program last year either? Any of them still on a roster or even look like they belonged at the level? Are any of them pro bowlers? No real diehard football fan watches the abomination known as the pro bowl
At least Seikovitz and Pircher have signed future/reserve deals to stay with those teams. Hard to glean much about them, since it seems like a practice squad apprenticeship with no view from the outside. Seems like they’re all impressive physical specimens.
No but it’s a smart idea by the NFL to try and build international training pipelines
It’d be really weird for these guys to he eligible last year in the 2021 campaign considering it was last year. Cmon Trade Rumors y’all gotta hire a proof reader
Such dastardly inconvenience!
Demand your money back!
An awful lot of complaining about something you get for free….
I wonder if this is the precursor to an International Coaches Pathway Program that teams could use to do an end run around the Rooney Rule.
i like the idea of international pathways but it seems strange and limiting to only allow four teams to acquire and attempt to develop one player each. a gm thinks about this once every 16 years. again, its better than nothing and im not sure how many international football players there are but this system seems super limited
8 years, still a long time