LA Rams plus one Max Pircher isn’t going anywhere

At 1:00 pm PT on August 31, 2021, offensive lineman Max Pircher was given a new experience to log into his NFL journal. On that date, he was waived by the LA Rams organization, as he did not make the initial 53-man roster for the 2021 NFL season. Imagine that? Traveling thousands of miles to take up in a new country, only to be fired in a few months.

Well, that’s sort of been the plan all along. You see, Maximillian Pircher is an Italian participant in the NFL’s International Pathways Program who has been assigned to the LA Rams. The overall goal is to increase the popularity of American Football around the world. By inviting and coaching up international players on an NFL team, their presence on an NFL roster attracts interest from their respective native countries. And the player’s own experience then becomes a train-the-trainer situation as they then use their own NFL experience to promote the sport in the future.

By 11:00 am PT, the LA Rams released their initial 14 players’ signings to the practice squad.  And right on schedule, Max Pircher’s name was there. He was back. It was a done deal before the deal was ever done.

Rams Roster

The LA Rams have not invested in offensive linemen of late. Within the past two seasons, the team has drafted one player, and added another undrafted player, to the team’s roster. Tremayne Anchrum is the lone 2020 representative. AJ Jackson is the lone 2021 representative.  But now the LA Rams have a 3rd category. International Pathway Program player. The Rams have one of those now too.

While it’s a safe bet that Max Pircher won’t find himself starting for the team in 2021, he is a powerful and huge big-bodied who did not come to the LA Rams to return home to Italy and teach students about NFL theory. He’s here with one goal in mind, to play in the NFL. The question now is, can he do it?

Welcome aboard Max!

Well, he is a 6-foot-7 300-pound powerhouse who has begged and borrowed every ounce of wisdom and mentoring from teammate Andrew Whitworth, Rob Havenstein, and Austin Corbett. He has been with the LA Rams for a short time, and already talks like a veteran

"“I was really impressed when we started practicing here, how the vets are treating the rookies,” Pircher said. “They’re very patient with us, they teach us everything. If they see something that you could do better, they immediately teach it and they also take the time. Rob Havenstein, Whitworth, Corbs, they’re all helping us a lot and they take you (to) the side and show you how you can do those steps better. So we’re really thankful for that and we know that’s not obvious.” – Max Pircher as interviewed by Stu Jackson"

In many ways, Pircher is already a seasoned player, albeit one who is ineligible to be activated this season. But the International Pathways Program has success stories, Philadelphia Eagles now starting offensive tackle Jordan Mailata was a former Australian rugby player who was assigned to the Eagles as part of the International Pathways Program. He joined the Eagles in 2018. In just four years, he is their starting left tackle. The LA Rams would love to have similar results with Pircher.

Max Pircher intends to claim a starting role for the LA Rams down the road. He is non-stop in his quest to improve, to get better, to learn how to be the best by watching and learning from the best. He has time on his side

La Pazienza È la Virtù dei Forti – Translated means Patience is a virtue. Or in Max Pircher’s case, La pazienza può portare a una grande fortuna – Translated means Patience can lead to great fortune.