Detroit Lions add Max Pircher through NFL International Player Pathway Program

Via the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, the Detroit Lions have added offensive lineman Max Pircher.

Early this month, the Detroit Lions added Australian tight end Patrick Murtagh via the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program. But an undisclosed medical issue is unfortunately forcing Murtagh to bow out, and on Monday the Lions announced they’ve added offensive tackle Max Pircher via the international player program.

Originally from Italy, the 6-foot-7, 300 pound Pircher has been in the NFL for two years already. He was the International Pathway player for the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, then he spent last season on the Rams’ practice squad. He has yet to make an appearance in an NFL regular season game, but he did play eight snaps at left tackle in the Rams’ third preseason game last year.

Pircher started playing football in Austria for the Swarco Raiders in 2019, as he made the switch from handball. That year he played on the Italian National Team (Blue Team), and he was playing for the Hildesheim Invaders in Germany when he was invited to join the International Player Pathway program.

Max Pircher getting new opportunity with the Detroit Lions

Pircher will not count against the Lions’ 90-man roster as OTAs get going this week. If he doesn’t make the 53-man roster, he can stick around on the practice squad without counting against the typical allotment of players there.

The Lions certainly can use a bit of offensive tackle depth, if only for competition. Matt Nelson has struggled when he has had to play, and 2022 UDFA signing Obinna Eze is a very unknown quantity.

With a hat-tip to Pride of Detroit for the find, here’s a You Tube clip of Pircher in action.

Pircher is certainly a long shot to make the Lions’ active roster this year. But he can continue his development this summer and possibly into the season on the practice squad, and nothing would necessarily be off the table looking down the road.