The Denver Broncos are taking a look at another Australian-born player.
Among the seven players trying out at mandatory minicamp this week is Patrick Murtagh, a 25-year-old tight end who was a decathlete growing up before later switching to Australian rules football. He was rostered by the Gold Coast Football Club from 2020-2022 before joining the NFL’s international player pathway program in 2023.
Murtagh had a brief stint with the Detroit Lions early in 2023 that was cut short by a medical issue. He then went to training camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024, spending the regular season on injured reserve. The Jags waived the tight end this spring.
The Broncos (and all 32 NFL teams) are allowed to carry an extra international player on the practice squad during the regular season. So if Denver signs a player like Murtagh and he ends up on the practice squad, he would not count against the 16-player limit.
Teams also get an extra active roster spot for an international player during the offseason. Right now, Australian punter Jeremy Crawshaw is the team’s designated international player, and he does not count against the 90-man offseason roster limit.
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