The Bears will be allowed to roster an extra player in training camp thanks to some nifty maneuvering from GM Ryan Poles and a new NFL rule. The team was granted a roster exemption through the International Player Pathway for rookie punter Tory Taylor. That means they can carry 91 players through training camp, instead of the typical 90 players.
The NFL instituted the IPP in 2017 to help athletes from around the world make their way into the league. To qualify for the IPP, a player must be a citizen of a country outside the U.S. and Canada, with a principal place of residence outside the two countries, too. Further, the player can only have a maximum of two years of United States high school experience. Finally an international player “must satisfy all NFL player eligibility rules and have been eligible for a prior NFL Draft,” per the league.
For the first time this year, the NFL will also include specialists in the IPP, like kickers or punters.
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Put it all together and Taylor, who is Australian, qualifies.
Poles wasted no time putting that extra roster spot to use. On Sunday he signed running back Demetric Felton. When the team returned to practice on Monday, fellow running backs Travis Homer and Ian Wheeler did not participate, so Felton was thrust into the action right away. He took some reps, but top three backs D’Andre Swift, Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson shared the work.
Since the program’s inception in 2017, five IPP players have made it onto NFL regular season active rosters: Jordan Mailata (Australia, Philadelphia Eagles), Efe Obada (UK, Washington Commanders), Jakob Johnson (Germany, Las Vegas Raiders), Sammis Reyes (Chile, Washington Commanders) and David Bada (Germany, Washington Commanders). Taylor is set to become the sixth.