Updates

The NFL announced that 13 athletes from nine countries have been selected to compete for a spot in the 2022 International Player Pathway program.

Instituted in 2017, the program aims to provide elite international athletes with the opportunity to compete at the NFL level, improve their skills, and ultimately earn a spot on an NFL roster. In the 2021-22 season, two players who entered the NFL through the IPP program, Jakob Johnson of the New England Patriots and Jordan Mailata of the Philadelphia Eagles, each recorded their 1,000th career snap.

Given the program’s success, the NFL widened its search for international talent, hosting International Combines in England and Mexico this past October with 56 players from 16 countries participating.

Players will begin training in the United States in February and will have the opportunity to showcase their talents to NFL club scouts in March. Each athlete’s goal is signing as a free agent or being selected for allocation to a practice squad for next season through the IPP program. 

Chosen at random, one of the NFL’s eight divisions will receive the international players selected for the 2022 program should they not be signed to free agent contracts. At the conclusion of training camp, each player will be eligible for an international player practice squad exemption with his assigned team. This grants the assigned team an extra practice squad member. Under certain parameters, players can also be elevated to the active roster during the regular season.      

“The International Player Pathway program is an important part of our ongoing efforts to help ensure the best athletes in the world are playing in the NFL – regardless of their country of origin,” said Damani Leech, NFL chief operating officer of International. “We are excited to have players from around the world competing for a spot in the 2022 program.”

Players taking part in the program:

Notable International Player Pathway program participants currently on NFL rosters:

Jakob Johnson, Fullback (Germany), New England Patriots
Johnson was signed to the Patriots’ active roster on September 21, 2019. Johnson appeared in four regular season games in 2019 with three starts and made his first career reception for five yards in Week 5. He remained with the Patriots for the 2020 season and played all 16 games with 11 starts at fullback and scored his first career touchdown in Week 2. The touchdown catch was the first regular-season touchdown scored by an International Pathway program participant.  Johnson was re-signed by the Patriots for the 2021 season and played in all 17 games with six starts. He remains a key part of the Patriots' running game, recording over 1,000 career snaps.

Jordan Mailata, Tackle (Australia), Philadelphia Eagles
The Samoan-born Australian former professional rugby league player for the South Sydney Rabbitohs was drafted in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, becoming the youngest player on the Eagles’ roster. After spending the 2018 and 2019 seasons on injured reserve and practice squad, Mailata had a breakout 2020 campaign with starts at both left and right tackle. Following the 2020 season, Mailata was named a starting left tackle and signed a four-year contract extension to remain with the Eagles. In 2021, Mailata started all 14 games he played in and eclipsed 1,000 career snaps. Mailata was the recipient of the NFL’s Way to Play Award in Week 1.

Efe Obada, Defensive End (UK), Buffalo Bills
In 2018, ​Obada become the first player from the NFL International Pathway program to make a 53-man roster and play in his first regular-season game, earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his one-sack, one-interception performance against the Cincinnati Bengals. Obada joined the Bills as a free agent for the 2021 season. In 2021, Obada played in 10 games with one start, recording 12 tackles, 3.5 sacks, three tackles for loss and one pass defensed.  

Sammis Reyes, Tight End (Chile), Washington Football Team
Reyes competed for an NFL roster spot in 2020 through the NFL’s International Player Pathway program. Having never played football, Reyes secured a spot on Washington’s 2021 roster, becoming the first Chilean-born player in the NFL. He appeared in his first regular-season game in Week 5 against New Orleans and earned his first start in Week 11 against Carolina.