Most German NFL players have fallen victim to roster cuts. But shortly afterwards, there is good news: the dream continues for some.

The NFL preseason is over – the franchise teams have shrunk from over 90 players to 53 in some cases.

Apart from offensive lineman Brandon Coleman with the Washington Commanders and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown with the Detroit Lions, no player with German roots has made it into one of the squads.

However, the NFL journey for Lenny Krieg, Leander Wiegand, and Co. is far from over.

NFL Roster Cuts: After the cut is before the waiver

Almost all of the players who were cut, namely Lenny Krieg, Leander Wiegand, Lorentz Metz, Julius Welschof, Kilian Zierer, and Maximilian Mang, went through the so-called waiver wire.

This means that under certain conditions, players who have been cut are available for exactly 24 hours and teams can register their interest.

If no team has shown an interest in signing the player, they officially become free agents and can negotiate freely with the team of their choice.

However, if a team—which may be the franchise that previously cut the player—shows interest, the player is assigned to that team under the terms of their old contract.

If several teams want a player, the so-called waiver priority decides who gets the player. Until week four, this is based on the worst teams from the previous season (so the Tennessee Titans are in first place), and after that, on the current standings.

NFL International Player Exemption: A special opportunity for Germans

International players even have an advantage over US players. As part of the expansion of the International Pathway Program, the NFL has now granted each of the 32 teams an extra spot on the practice squad for international players.

Normally, the limit for the practice squad is 16 players, but if an international player is signed, he counts as the 17th extra player.

Five Germans have now found a place in a practice squad and thus remain part of the NFL, even if they are not part of the active 53-man roster.

After kicker Lenny Krieg signed with the Atlanta Falcons, tight end Maximilian Mang with the Indianapolis Colts, and linebacker Julius Welschof with the Pittsburgh Steelers, there was more good news for two other Germans.

Offensive tackle Lorenz Metz signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while offensive tackle Leander Wiegand remains with the New York Jets.

NFL Roster Cuts: Special Cases EQ St. Brown and Jakob Johnson

Jakob Johnson is a special case. The fullback was also cut by the Houston Texans, but he did not go through the waiver wire.

The reason for this is that although Johnson entered the league via the International Pathway Program, the New England Patriots took away his protected status by promoting him to the 53-man roster in 2019. In addition, Johnson is considered a “veteran” and is no longer eligible for the waiver wire anyway.

The situation is different again for Equanimeous St. Brown. The wide receiver was cut by the San Francisco 49ers, but he too has nothing to do with the waiver wire. This is also because his season is already over due to injury.