Tag: IPP

Steelers add former International Pathway Program defensive back

The Steelers are signing a former Jaguars defensive back.

According to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, the Pittsburgh Steelers are signing defensive back Ayo Oyelola. Oyelola entered the league in 2021 as a member of the International Pathway Program but didn’t make an NFL roster.

The Steelers worked out Oyelola on Aug. 29 and saw enough to give him a shot. Oyelola spent the last two NFL seasons on the Jacksonville Jaguars roster but did not play a snap in the regular season. He also had a stint in the CFL with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2021.

Oyelola is the second player from the international program who the Steelers have had this year. Pittsburgh also signed outside linebacker Julius Welschof before placing him on IR and releasing him.

Pittsburgh currently has a full practice squad, so we expect a release to make room for Oyelola.

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Haggai Ndubuisi will get his real chance with Broncos at training camp

Broncos International Player Pathway player Haggai Ndubuisi looked good at OTAs, but the real test will arrive when pads come on at camp.

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Earlier this offseason, the NFL allocated defensive lineman Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi to the Denver Broncos as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP) program.

As part of the program, the 22-year-old Nigerian lineman will not count against the 90-man offseason roster limit this summer.

Ndubuisi looked as good as a defensive lineman can in spring practices, but the real test will come when Denver puts on pads later this summer. Payton said after organized team activities wrapped up last week that Ndubuisi has looked good so far, but his real opportunity will come during training camp.

“He’s doing well,” Payton said on June 8. “The biggest challenge [is that] no one’s got shoulder pads on or anything yet. He looks good. He’s smart and I like him. I like that we have him. I think it’ll be easier for me to answer that question seven days into training camp because they’re the ones that are challenged with this type of practice.

“One guy is in charge of the ‘A’ gap on defense, and there’s an offensive lineman in charge of the ‘A’ gap. There has to be somebody acquiescing. That will sort out once we get the pads on.”

If he looks good in pads and ends up making the team, Ndubuisi will count against the 53-man roster this season. In the meantime, he won’t count against the offseason roster, giving him some security at least for the summer. Now it’s up to the young defensive lineman to take advance of his opportunity.

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Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi joins Broncos as part of NFL’s International Player Pathway

Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi is joining the Broncos as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program. He does count against the roster.

The Denver Broncos are adding a new player to their defensive line depth chart, but he won’t count against the 90-man offseason roster.

The league has allocated defensive lineman Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi to the Broncos as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP) program.

Ndubuisi (6-7, 323 pounds) is a 22-year-old Nigerian lineman who played soccer and basketball growing up before joining Uprise Academy, a Nigerian football program founded by former NFL defensive lineman Osi Umenyiora.

After standing out at Uprise Academy, Ndubuisi attended an international combine in London and then went to training camp with the Arizona Cardinals last summer as part of the IPP program.

Ndubuisi was unable to make Arizona’s 53-man roster or practice squad last year, but he will now get another opportunity in Denver. He is one of 13 players participating in the 2023 IPP program. This year, there are six Nigerians, one Australian and one French player in the program.

Since the NFL launched the IPP program in 2017, 37 international players have signed with NFL teams. This marks the first time a player has joined the Broncos as part of the program.

Ndubuisi will not officially count against Denver’s roster total unless he makes the team later this summer.

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Packers given DL Kenneth Odumegwu from NFL International Pathway Program

Nigerian DL Kenneth Odumegwu will be with the Packers during training camp and possibly the regular seaosn thanks to the NFL’s IPP.

The Green Bay Packers were allocated Nigerian defensive lineman Kenneth Odumegwu from the NFL’s International Pathway Program, the team and NFL announced on Thursday.

Odumegwu is a 22-year-old of Nigerian decent who was initially discovered through Osi Umenyiora’s “The Uprise Intiative” in Ghana. From there, Odumegwu and 12 others participated at the Internaitonal Combine in London last year, were trained in Florida during a 10-week program and then had a pro day in front of teams at South Florida.

Odumegwu is one of eight allocated players from the program following the 2023 draft. All four teams from the NFC North and AFC West received a player, and now all 32 teams have been allocated at least one player from the International Pathway Program, which began in 2017.

Udumegwu will be with the Packers throughout training and will be eligible for an international player practice squad exemption for the regular season.

Of the 37 players signed throughout the program, four have made active rosters.

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