By Tuesday, the 32 NFL teams had to reduce their rosters to 53 men. What does the situation of the German players look like after that?

The 2024 season is drawing ever closer in the world’s best football league. But the 32 NFL teams still have some work to do before Week 1: the roster cuts are coming up.

Of course, one German has his place secure: Amon-Ra St. Brown, who received a big contract extension before the season. The situation is trickier for the other German players.

Amon-Ra St. Brown (Detroit Lions)

He’s the talk of the town: Amon-Ra St. Brown. After three excellent years in the NFL, the 24-year-old is one of the best receivers in the league – and that is also paying off financially. At the end of April, he signed a mega contract with the Lions until 2028. He will receive 120 million US dollars, 77 million of which is guaranteed.

Figures that are no coincidence. The pass receiver is one of the most important players on his team and after reaching the 2023 NFC Championship Game, success is also expected in 2024.

St. Brown is right in the thick of it – and not just there. The series “Receiver” is available on the streaming platform “Netflix”. Alongside Davante Adams (Raiders), Justin Jefferson (Vikings) and George Kittle and Deebo Samuel (both 49ers), the German-American is also the focus of attention.

There, the 24-year-old also revealed that he had torn his oblique abdominal muscles in Week 4 of last season. However, St. Brown only missed one game, even though the abdominal muscles had “completely separated from the bone”. Fit and healthy, he wants to achieve great things in the coming season

Equanimeous St. Brown (most recently New Orleans Saints)

Equanimeaous St. Brown, older brother of Amon-Ra, also wants to start again in 2024. And originally in a different place. Because unlike his brother, the 27-year-old has not been with the team that drafted him in 2018 for some time. That was the Green Bay Packers.

After two seasons with the Chicago Bears, he became a free agent at the end of last season and was then signed by the New Orleans Saints in April.

The bitter news for “EQ” then followed on Tuesday evening, although he certainly impressed in the third preseason game against the Titans with three catches for 40 yards and a touchdown. The wide receiver did not make the final roster cut and was released by the Saints, but was added to the practice squad shortly afterwards.

Brandon Coleman (Washington Commanders)

He is the new German NFL hope. Brandon Coleman was selected in the third round of the draft last April. The Washington Commanders picked the quarterback protector at No. 67, meaning he will be tasked with shielding No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels in the future.

Coleman left Berlin at the age of 15 and moved to the USA. He even served as captain of the TCU Horned Frogs in his final college season. After the draft, the O-lineman spoke of being “speechless and shocked”.

He continued: “The coaches are mega cool. I’m so happy to be in Washington. I’m so grateful to have this opportunity.”

And he seems to be making the most of it, as Coleman has made a strong impression in preparation and also survived the cut. According to “Bleacher Report”, he is even considered the team’s “X-factor”, specifically as a possible starter at the left tackle position.

The team probably thinks highly of him: the German is listed at number one in the unofficial depth chart. The problem: Coleman has been struggling with a pectoral muscle strain and might not be fit in time for the start of the season. He was completely rested in the preseason

Marcel Dabo (most recently Indianapolis Colts)

2022 Dabo came to the NFL via the International Pathway Program and was signed by the Colts. The 24-year-old has recovered well from the meniscus tear he suffered last October. Now it’s time to finally achieve what Dabo wants so much: to play in an NFL game.

He still has to wait for that, but he can still hope. Dabo was initially waived by the Colts, but shortly afterwards Indianapolis signed him for the practice squad. His advantage: as an international player, he doesn’t take up any space on the Colts’ practice squad and can develop in peace.

Devery Hamilton (most recently Pittsburgh Steelers)

The offensive tackle signed a so-called “reserve/futures contract” with the Pittsburgh Steelers in January. This meant the franchise claimed the rights to him for the 90-man roster as part of Organized Team Activities and training camp.

Such contracts are usually paid at the minimum salary, which is based on the player’s experience, and are not guaranteed. In his fourth year – he was previously under contract with the Raiders and Giants – he was hoping for a breakthrough in Pittsburgh.

But those hopes were dashed. Hamilton fell victim to the cut after the preseason finale against the Detroit Lions. A decision that had been in the offing.

Although he got his playing time against the Lions, he showed considerable problems in pass defense, allowing a sack and repeatedly putting pressure on quarterback Justin Fields. He had to take some criticism in the media

Lorenz Metz (most recently Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Lorenz Metz is another German who benefited from the NFL’s International Pathway Program. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed the offensive tackle in mid-April.

The giant from Upper Bavaria, who only started playing football at the age of 17, played for the Cincinnati Bearcats in college but was not selected in the 2023 draft. After brief stints with the Bears and the Giants, he got his next chance in Tampa.

Metz got his snaps in the preseason, but the Bucs parted ways with him after the final game. He went through waivers and, according to media reports, Tampa Bay struck again and signed him to the practice squad. Thanks to a waiver, he doesn’t count against the 16 available spots.

Jakob Johnson (most recently New York Giants)

Johnson played for the Patriots from 2019 to 2021, then two seasons for the Raiders. His contract expired after last season and was not extended. The Giants signed the fullback in mid-August.

Shortly after signing, he got a few snaps against the Texans, eight on offense and one on special teams. In Week 3 against the Jets, he got 22 in offense (33 percent) and 20 on special teams (83 percent).

Although he didn’t make the final squad at first, the good news came shortly afterwards: the Giants brought Johnson back and gave him a spot on the practice squad.

Kilian Zierer (most recently Houston Texans)

Just like Metz, Kilian Zierer has the same fate. He was also not selected in the 2023 draft. He then went to the Texans as an undrafted free agent. Although he impressed in training camp, a serious injury meant he had to retire early in the season.

Last April, the franchise allocated him an international roster spot for 2024. And Zierer was once again the focus of attention.

The Texans wanted to see what he was capable of in preparation. In the last game against the Rams, he was one of three players who were on the field for all offensive snaps. All in all, he played a strong 151 snaps. Nevertheless, he was waived by the Texans. Afterwards, no team took a hit and Zierer is back on the Texans’ practice squad, according to several media reports.

Julius Welschof (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Julius Welschof was not selected in the 2024 draft, but he was selected afterward. The defensive end, who is already 27 years old and comes from the University of North Carolina, was signed as a free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was able to collect plenty of plus points in the preseason. He totaled three sacks, including two in the final duel with the Detroit Lions.

What’s more: before the last preseason game, Welschof had collected the most snaps of all players, 100 in total. He played 88 of them in defense, which also gave him the most playing time.

“Working with Julius is a lot of fun. He sits in my office early in the morning and tries to get everything out of the experience. He takes it very seriously and it’s so much fun to coach a guy like that. He does the things we ask him to do,” said outside linebackers coach Denzel Martin. Whether it would be enough for the final squad was initially more open than expected.

But then came the shock on Tuesday: The Steelers placed Welschof on the Injured Reserve List, meaning his season is over before the first game of the regular season. Mike Tomlin said after the final preseason game that Welschof’s knee would have to be examined more closely

David Bada (last Detroit Lions)

David Bada remains dogged by bad luck. The defensive tackle had been with the Commanders since 2020, when they signed him as part of the International Pathway Program. Last summer, he tore his triceps in training, which meant his 2023 season was over prematurely.

The Lions signed him this summer, but the 29-year-old injured his Achilles tendon in the preseason. Another premature end to the season, as coach Dan Campbell confirmed. Bada has now been waived as part of the roster cuts