German footballer Paul Rubelt has fulfilled his dream of playing in the NFL. He signs with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Another German player will now be part of the NFL in the 2026 season after all. Paul Rubelt from Frankfurt an der Oder has signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent.

This was announced by both Rubelt via Instagram and his college, the University of Central Florida, via X.

Offensive lineman Rubelt missed out on the draft, but now he has made it into the NFL after a slight delay.

2.13-meter big man Rubelt: Strong performance at Pro Day

The 2.13-metre-tall Rubelt began his career in flag football before moving to the USA in 2020 and then playing six years at the University of Central Florida. “I thought I’d be out of college in two weeks,” said the 25-year-old in the “footballschland” podcast about his initial problems in his new environment in the USA.

At university, Rubelt played both right tackle and left tackle. Last season, he played over 600 snaps on the field. The 136-kilogram athlete also impressed with strong performances at his university’s Pro Day.

At this individual showcase for the Knights, he achieved values that catapulted him into the top 10 offensive linemen of this year’s draft class in four categories. With his standing jump (2.94 meters), Rubelt even achieved the second-best result of the Combine. His Relative Athletic Score (9.65) was also outstanding.

Tight end Klein drafted by the Texans

While Rubelt was an undrafted player in the NFL, German tight end Marlin Klein was picked in the draft. The Houston Texans secured the 23-year-old at position 59.

This makes Klein the third earliest German draft pick after Björn Werner (position 24 in the 2013 draft) and Sebastian Vollmer (position 58 in the 2009 draft).