Huddle up, HR | Why the NFL's legendary International Player Pathway is a lesson in global talent acquisition

The NFL International Player Pathway (IPP) is a program designed to give athletes from around the world the chance to enter America’s National Football League.

Each year since 2017, the NFL has scouted some of the world’s best athletes across a variety of sports and put them into a high-intensity 10-week training and development boot camp.

The players are also exposed to NFL scouts and meet with football coaches, and if they impress, can be signed into a specially designated spot on the practice squad of an NFL team, with opportunities throughout the season to move up into the active roster and possibly make their way onto the field.

Since the program’s inception and before the 2024 program, 37 international players had signed with NFL teams, and five players had made the active roster at teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington Commanders, and the Las Vegas Raiders.