Miami: The NFL (www.NFL.com) has announced its International Player Pathway (IPP) program Class of 2026, featuring 13 athletes representing 10 nations around the world. The program, established in 2017, aims to identify elite global talent and provide these athletes with the opportunity to improve their skills and potentially earn a spot on an NFL roster.

According to African Press Organization, the IPP program has historically welcomed athletes from various sporting backgrounds, such as rugby, basketball, Gaelic football, track and field. The Class of 2026 includes athletes like Kaia Clarkin, Kaylan Faumui, Jarrod Gray from Australia and New Zealand, and Seydou Traore from Algeria, Ivory Coast, and the United Kingdom, among others.

Starting in January 2026, the athletes will undergo a 10-week training program in American football at X3 Performance and Physical Therapy in Fort Myers, Florida. This training will prepare them to showcase their skills in front of NFL club scouts. The IPP program reflects the N
FL’s commitment to accelerating global football development and creating a pathway for international talent to play at the highest level.

Players from the IPP program may be signed as free agents or, if eligible, selected during the 2026 NFL Draft. Each NFL club is allowed one roster exemption for a qualifying international player from the start of the club’s offseason program through the roster reduction to 53 players. These international players can then be signed to a 17th practice squad roster spot reserved for them across any of the 32 teams.

Since its inception, 70 international players have signed with NFL teams through allocation, drafting, or as free agents, with 22 IPP athletes currently on NFL rosters. Eleven of these players have been elevated to active rosters, highlighting the success of the program in integrating international talent into the NFL.