Earlier this month, the Detroit Lions had been awarded Aussie footballer Patrick Murtagh as a part of the NFL’s Worldwide Pathway program. Sadly, the Lions introduced on Monday that Murtagh is unable to take part in this system this 12 months because of an undisclosed medical difficulty.
Subsequently, the Lions have added one other worldwide participant to take Murtagh’s place: offensive lineman Max Pircher. A 6-foot-7, 300-pound offensive sort out, Pircher has really been within the NFL for 2 years already, serving because the Worldwide Pathways participant for the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 and staying with the crew the next 12 months on the apply squad. He has but to make an look in an NFL recreation however did play eight snaps at left sort out within the Rams’ third preseason recreation final 12 months.
After switching from handball in 2019, Pircher obtained his begin enjoying (American) soccer in Austria for the Swarco Raiders. He has additionally performed for the Italian Nationwide Crew and a German soccer crew named the Hildesheim Invaders.
As a reminder, gamers who come from the Worldwide Pathway program don’t rely in opposition to the crew’s 90-man roster. In the event that they don’t make the crew’s 53-man roster on the finish of coaching camp, they’ll keep on the crew’s apply squad with out taking on a conventional spot on that crew.
The Lions might positively use some assist alongside their offensive sort out depth. Backup Matt Nelson has struggled in restricted motion, whereas final 12 months’s UDFA Obinna Eze nonetheless stays a uncooked, unknown commodity. Pircher remains to be seemingly an extended shot to make the roster, however with one other 12 months of improvement on the apply squad, who is aware of?
You possibly can see a bit of Pircher’s work in that preseason recreation by way of this clip on YouTube:
