JACKSONVILLE – Patrick Murtagh’s NFL dream will continue with the Jaguars.

Murtagh, a former rising player in Australian Rules Football and an aspiring NFL tight end, has joined the Jaguars through the NFL’s International Pathway Program. He is a member of the IPP Class of 2024.

As an IPP player, Murtagh can stay with the Jaguars through training camp. If he does not make the 53-player roster, he can be carried as an extra “developmental” player on the practice squad. Defensive back Ayo Oyelola has been with the Jaguars as part of the IPP program the past two seasons.

Murtagh (6-feet-5, 250 pounds) spent part of the 2023 offseason with the Detroit Lions as part of the IPP program before leaving the team in May with an undisclosed medical issue.

Murtagh – a national level decathlete in Australia and a Queensland state champion in high school – initially participated in an international scouting combine in London, then was among 12 prospects who participated in a 10-week training camp at IMG Academy in Florida.

He was awarded a place on Australia’s Commonwealth pathway before deciding to pursue a career in Australian Rules Football.

He signed with the AFL’s Gold Coast Suns at the age of 19 and spent time with the Suns until September 2022, before originally pursuing his opportunity with the NFL’s International Player Pathway program in 2023.

Established in 2017, the IPP program aims to provide elite international athletes with the opportunity to compete at the NFL level, improve their skills and ultimately work to earn a spot on an NFL roster.