Jakob Johnson has had a turbulent NFL career. He played alongside Tom Brady and wrote German sports history. Most recently he was fired on a weekly basis. Now the man with the remarkable attitude is traveling to Munich with the New York Giants and doing his job
Jakob Johnson recently described the cold mercilessness of business in the National Football League (NFL) using a story about the so-called Grim Reaperthe Grim Reaper. This macabre title is given to the football professional who is sent by the coaches to inform players that they have been released. Usually an inexperienced employee in the office who is passed on this thankless job, Johnson said in a video podcast by YouTuber Tim Gabel.
He then shared his own experience with the reaper of the Oakland Raiders, for whom he played between 2022 and 2023. “I came to the office one morning, did my pre-practice tests and noticed that the guy (the employee responsible for delivering layoffs, Editor’s note) made eye contact with me,” Johnson recalled: “I just thought: No, not serious.” The German was sent to the general manager of the Raiders and fired after he had recently fought back from a concussion. It was a lesson, said Johnson. He now knows his way around.
Since Johnson signed his first contract with the New York Giants in August, he has been released five times in two months. The 29-year-old native of Stuttgart only received his last notice of termination to date last week; On Saturday – in time for the trip to Germany – the New Yorkers signed him back to their training squad.
Fight for squad positions
The Giants will meet the Carolina Panthers in Munich on Sunday (3:30 p.m., live on RTL and DAZN). It is the fourth NFL regular season game to be played in Germany. From a sporting perspective, the game does not come close to the performances of Tom Brady in Munich or Patrick Mahomes in Frankfurt in recent years. Still, it’s a special journey for Johnson.
Why has the German been fired so often recently? This is also due to the complicated rules in the NFL. NFL teams are only allowed to have 53 professionals on their active roster at any time during a season. Johnson, who plays fullback, was signed by the Giants on August 16 but did not make the 53-man roster before the start of the season. Since then he has been commuting between the active team and the so-called training squad.
There can be a maximum of 17 players per team; Ten of these spots are reserved for players in their first or second year of career. Johnson, who is playing in his sixth NFL season, has one of the few available spots on the Giants’ training squad – and has had to leave several times because New York needed a spot for another player at short notice. “It’s better than not having a job. And yes, I’m having fun,” said Johnson before the Munich game, when asked about his situation.
Eventful career
Despite the recent turbulent times, Johnson can look back on some successes. Despite a serious injury during his college days, he made it into the active squad of the New England Patriots, who were then still coached by legendary coach Bill Belichick. There the German played alongside quarterback legend Brady. Johnson is also the first German offensive player to score a touchdown in the NFL.
“But I’m still here and have the opportunity to be on an NFL squad and have an influence on how games turn out,” says Johnson, revealing his remarkable attitude to his job. “As long as this journey continues, that’s fine with me How “Not so important.” During his time in New York, Johnson earned almost $500,000, according to “sportrac.com”. In the billion-dollar league, an almost negligible amount.
He organized tickets for 52 people for the game on Sunday in Munich. It is not yet clear whether he may even be allowed to play. But even without the effort, Johnson sees the trip as a win. “For me, victory is simply being there, regardless of whether I’m on the pitch or not.”
