When Björn Werner heard his name called at the 2013 NFL Draft, it wasn’t just a personal milestone — it was a moment that reverberated through living rooms in Berlin, Hamburg, and Stuttgart. The former Florida State defensive end became the highest-drafted German player in NFL history when the Indianapolis Colts selected him 24th overall in the first round. For German fans, it was more than a pick; it was proof that the league’s global ambitions could yield tangible results.
Ten years later, that belief remains unshaken. Despite Werner’s NFL career being shortened by injuries, German supporters continue to show up — in record numbers for NFL London Games, through surging viewership on RTL and ProSieben, and in the growing ranks of youth flag football leagues across the country. Their passion isn’t nostalgic; it’s forward-looking, rooted in the conviction that the next German star is already training in a gym somewhere between Cologne and Munich.
This enduring faith was on full display during the 2023 NFL Draft, when German fans flooded social media with messages of support for prospects like Johannes “JoJo” Weber and Isaiah Likely — even though neither has German heritage. The sentiment was clear: if the NFL wants to grow in Europe, it needs local heroes. And Werner, for all his on-field struggles, remains that symbol.
Werner’s journey began long before Indianapolis. Born in Berlin in 1990, he moved to the United States as a teenager to pursue both academics and football, eventually earning a scholarship to Florida State. There, he developed into one of the nation’s top pass rushers, recording 22.5 sacks over his final two seasons. His combination of size, speed, and relentless motor drew comparisons to NFL veterans like Jared Allen and Dwight Freeney.
On draft night in 2013, the anticipation in Germany was palpable. Bars in Frankfurt and Cologne opened early, serving pretzels and beer as fans gathered to watch the NFL Network livestream — a broadcast that, according to RTL Sport, saw a 40% increase in German viewership compared to the previous year. When Commissioner Roger Goodell walked to the podium and announced Werner’s name, the reaction wasn’t just cheering; it was a collective exhale. After years of near-misses — like Moritz Böhringer’s controversial seventh-round selection in 2016 — Germany finally had its first-round pick.
The reality of the NFL, however, proved unforgiving. Werner struggled to adapt to the league’s complex defensive schemes and suffered a season-ending pectoral injury in 2014. He played just 23 games over three seasons with the Colts before being released in 2016. Brief stints with the Baltimore Ravens and Washington Football Team yielded no further action, and by 2017, his NFL career was effectively over.
Yet, rather than fading into obscurity, Werner became a bridge. He returned to Germany periodically to host football camps, speak at schools, and advocate for the sport’s growth. In 2019, he worked with the NFL’s International Pathway Program to help identify and develop European talent. His message was simple: the path is narrow, but it exists.
That message resonates. According to the NFL’s 2023 International Fan Report, Germany ranks third globally in NFL fandom outside North America — behind only the United Kingdom and Mexico. Over 4.6 million Germans identify as avid NFL fans, a number that has grown by 22% since 2020. Viewership for NFL games on ProSieben and RTL averaged 1.1 million per broadcast during the 2023 season, with peaks reaching 2.8 million for the Super Bowl.
Part of this growth stems from the league’s deliberate investment. The NFL has hosted regular-season games in London since 2007 and expanded to Germany in 2022 with a sold-out matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks at Munich’s Allianz Arena. The game drew 69,815 fans — the largest crowd for an NFL regular-season game outside the United States since 2009. A second game in 2023, featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins, sold out just as quickly.
For German fans, these events aren’t just spectacles — they’re validation. Seeing Patrick Mahomes throw a touchdown pass in front of a sea of jerseys in Munich reinforced what Werner’s draft selection suggested a decade earlier: the NFL belongs in Europe, too.
Critics point to the lack of sustained on-field success from German-born players as a reason to temper expectations. Since Werner, no German athlete has been drafted higher than sixth round — Moritz Böhringer in 2016 and Isabell Bielecki (who briefly pursued football before switching to rugby) being the most notable attempts. Others argue that cultural differences in football development — where soccer dominates youth athletics — make it difficult for the NFL to establish a true pipeline.
But supporters counter that progress isn’t linear. The NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, launched in 2017, has placed over 40 international players on NFL practice squads, including several Germans like Daniel Eichler and Johannes Weber. While none have yet made an active roster, the infrastructure is being built. And as youth participation in American football grows — with over 15,000 registered players in Germany according to the AFVD (American Football Verband Deutschland) — the talent pool is expanding.
What German fans understand, perhaps better than anyone, is that growing a sport globally isn’t about immediate returns. It’s about planting seeds. Werner’s draft selection was one such seed. The Munich games are another. The increasing number of German kids wearing Justin Herbert or Micah Parsons jerseys? Those are the sprouts.
The next checkpoint isn’t a draft pick or a contract signing — it’s cultural normalization. When a German parent signs their child up for flag football not as a novelty, but as a legitimate athletic path — that’s when the NFL’s global experiment will have truly succeeded. Until then, fans will keep showing up, keep believing, and keep reminding the league: your future stars might just be learning their stance in a gymnasium outside Düsseldorf.
As for Björn Werner? He now works in finance in Frankfurt, but still watches every NFL Sunday with the same intensity he did on draft night. When asked if he regrets the injuries that cut his career short, he smiles. “No,” he says. “I got to live the dream. And if my journey helped even one kid in Germany believe they could too — then it was worth every snap.”
The next NFL game in Germany is scheduled for November 10, 2024, when the Recent England Patriots will face the Indianapolis Colts at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt. Kickoff is set for 9:30 a.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. CET. Tickets went on sale in May and are expected to sell out within hours — another testament to the enduring belief of German fans that, one day, the league’s next great star will carry a German passport.
What do you think about the NFL’s growth in Germany? Share your thoughts in the comments below — and if you found this piece insightful, consider sharing it with fellow fans who still believe in the game’s global future.
