According to Mike Garafolo, the Falcons have signed K Lenny Krieg, a German athlete looking to break into the NFL through the International Player Pathway program, to a contract.
Krieg caught the eye of the NFL at the Combine and participated in the IPP pro day this week. He was set to take visits with other teams but ended up signing with the Falcons after his visit today, per Garafolo.
Garafolo added Krieg got guarantees on his base salary and a signing bonus, indicating there was legitimate competition for his services.
Normally IPP players get an exemption to be carried on the 90-man roster and practice squad during the season to develop, but this sounds like Krieg may have earned a contract straight up with no exemption.
The International Player Pathway program was instituted by the NFL in 2017 as a way to grow the game of football. Each year one of the NFL’s eight divisions was randomly chosen to receive one international player each. In recent years, the program has expanded to include all teams.
Krieg, 22, was born and grew up in Berlin and played soccer before making the transition to football. He played for the European Football League’s Stuttgart Surge in 2023 and 2024.
In 2024, Krieg converted 11 of 16 field goal attempts for the Surge.
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