Wallaby star gets NFL deal after taking 'huge risk'
SPOTLIGHT: Jordan Petaia is charting new ground for Australians in the NFL after being head-hunted by the Los Angeles Chargers as a potential tight end.
The two-time World Cup Wallaby talent has signed a three-year deal with the LA team after impressing in a 10-week Florida NFL crash course as part of the league’s International Player Pathway.
Former Rugby League talent Jordan Mailata became the first Australian to win a Super Bowl in February as Philadelphia’s defensive tackle, while Jarryd Hayne was a running back for San Francisco and many others have punted for NFL teams.
But Petaia, who was also chased by Atlanta, Cleveland and Kansas City, is seen as a smaller tight end by the Chargers, who were first to show their interest and hardest to chase after the Australian impressed at the University of South Florida’s Pro Day.
The specialist position is a hybrid between an offensive lineman and a receiver, set next to the offensive tackle and able to catch passes, block for other receivers, or protect the quarterback.
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welcome to LA, mate ⚡️
we’ve signed TE Jordan Petaia → https://t.co/ssn4tnRcmY pic.twitter.com/EAGl0pJNlb
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) April 3, 2025
Petaia’s vertical and broad jump results were elite at Pro Day, but it was his natural instinct and reaction time during route runs that convinced scouts he was capable of playing a nuanced position rarely mastered by code-hoppers.
The 25-year-old knocked back lucrative European rugby and NRL offers – and the chance to feature for the Wallabies against the British and Irish Lions – to instead give up at least five months of pay to pursue his NFL dream.
He’s so far the only member of the 14-strong IPP crop to sign a deal.
“We are thrilled for Jordy, who has quietly planned this move to the NFL for some time,” manager Andrew Fairbairn said. “He has taken a huge risk to depart Rugby Union for the NFL IPP, with no contractual guarantee.
“After speaking with a few teams since Pro Day last week, we felt the Chargers were the best fit for him as he takes his first step in the NFL.”
Established in 2017, the IPP program is designed to accommodate elite athletes from around the world on NFL rosters.
Active rosters had been water-tight in the past but new rules introduced before last season mean the Chargers can carry Petaia in an extra roster spot and activate him at any stage.
But the three-year deal doesn’t offer complete security.
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Bolt up ⚡️ @chargers pic.twitter.com/8Xq2N1sbVZ
— Queensland Reds (@Reds_Rugby) April 3, 2025
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) April 3, 2025
Petaia is able to be traded or carried on the training squad, like Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit, who never featured after signing with the Chiefs, being cut and then picked up by Jacksonville last season.
He’ll fly home to Brisbane this month before returning in April or May to begin pre-season training.
“I am super proud of Jordan and I think the opportunity he has is tremendous,” Mailata, part of the IPP’s 2018 class, said.
“It is such a great career move for him and also great that he will be closer to home on the west coast in LA.
“I know the Chargers are going to invest in Jordan and he is going to invest and buy into the whole process. Couldn’t be prouder of him.”
Petaia played 31 Tests for the Wallabies, debuting for the Queensland Reds when he was 18 and becoming the youngest Australian to play at a World Cup the following year.
Injuries routinely set the versatile talent back, but at his best, he showed explosive athleticism coupled with terrific hand and foot skills.
Training as either a smaller tight end or a bigger wide receiver, Petaia’s professionalism had impressed observers, who regarded this crop as the best-performed IPP squad yet.
