FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta adding the German-born Lenny Krieg to its practice squad raises some interesting questions about the NFL's roster mechanics as it relates to exemptions, practice squad size, game eligibility and the International Player Pathway program. Luckily, Nerdy Birds is here to help.
According to the NFL, clubs are permitted a maximum of 17 players on a practice squad so long as one of those players qualifies as an "international player." What does that mean, exactly? International players are defined by the league below.
"An International Player ("IP") is defined as a person whose citizenship and principal place of residence are outside the United States and Canada, and who has a maximum of two years of United States high school experience. In addition, an IP must: (i) satisfy all NFL player eligibility rules; and (ii) have been eligible for a prior NFL Draft."
International players can play any position, including kicker as is the case with Krieg, and they may be an international practice squad player for a maximum of three seasons. After three seasons, an IP is still eligible to be signed to a team's active roster or practice squad under the standard practice squad rules. We won't bore you with the minutiae of those rules here, except that they have to do with how many regular season games a player has been active for during their career.
As Krieg satisfies the NFL's definition of an international player, he can be signed to the team's practice squad as such. As a member of the practice squad, he is subject to the same roster and transaction rules as the other practice squad members. This includes the ability to be elevated to the active roster on game day, which can be done a maximum of three times during the regular season and any number of games during the postseason.
One recent change to the international player rules is that Krieg is now eligible to be signed off the Falcons practice squad to another team's active roster at any time. Previously, IPs were not permitted to be signed from a practice squad to another team's active roster.
Krieg is a member of the 2025 International Player Pathway program (IPP) class of 2025 which featured players from more than a dozen countries. The program was started in 2017 to create opportunities for international athletes to improve and develop their skills, with the goal of earning an NFL roster spot. According to NFL.com, more than 40 international players have signed with teams since the program's inception.
