The Detroit Lions added some international talent to the roster. The Lions have signed tight end Patrick Murtaugh via the International Player Pathway program.
Murtaugh is Australian and quite the accomplished athlete in his home country. He’s a decathlon champion who has been pursuing Aussie rules football with the Gold Coast Suns developmental squad. He caught the Lions’ eyes at the International Scouting Combine in London last fall.
Patrick Murtaugh TE Australia 🇦🇺
A late addition to the combine, the former Aussie rules football player Wasa pleasant suprise
The tall athlete caught the ball well & looked crisp running routes
He also punted after the combine for scouts and absolutely bombed the ball #afl pic.twitter.com/NOpsIDOCY1
— EuroballChow (@euroballchow) October 6, 2022
From the NFL’s guide on the International Player Pathway program,
Instituted in 2017, the NFL International Player Pathway program aims to give elite international athletes the opportunity to compete at the NFL level, improve their skills, and ultimately earn a spot on an NFL roster.
Murtaugh does not count against the Lions’ 90-man roster limit, and his salary does not impact the team’s cap calculations. At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, he’s got some serious athletic potential if he can adapt to the American version of football from the AFL.
