Getty Christian Wade runs the ball in a preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings.
A popular British speedster could have another year with the Buffalo Bills.
The NFL has reportedly offered an extension of its International Pathway Program, which encouraged players from overseas to attempt the jump to the NFL. The Bills have made use of the program for the past two seasons, holding onto converted rugby player and preseason phenom Christian Wade through the use of an exempt practice squad spot. It now appears that his time with the Bills could be extended.
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Wade Gets Another Year
As WGR 550 host and sideline reporter Sal Capaccio noted, the program that was set to last for two years has now been expanded for a third. That means Wade, who otherwise would have had to fight for a roster spot alongside all of the other players coming into training camp, now has the chance to hang around for another season without any risk to the Bills.
“So here’s something: The NFL has extended their International Pathway Program for players in it to have a third year,” he tweeted. “So, Bills RB Christian Wade now once again has an exemption on the roster and the practice squad, basically in the exact situation he’s been the last two years…Wade can still make the team. The Bills can bring 91 players to camp (with Wade as the exemption), unless of course the NFL reduces the roster limits like they did last year due to Covid.”
As Capaccio explained in a follow-up tweet, the rule change could give the Bills the chance to keep Wade as another body at practice for reps and to help deal with injury issues. If the Bills choose to use the practice squad exemption, it would mean that Wade would not be able to be moved to the active roster during the season, however. Wade became a fan favorite early on with the Bills, scoring a 65-yard touchdown on the first touch of his professional football career in a 2019 preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts.
In his first football game ever. On his first NFL touch.
Former England rugby superstar Christian Wade just scored a 65-yard TD!!!
Bills Sign Another Brit
Wade could have some company coming into training camp. This week the team signed defensive end Efe Obada, who was born in Nigeria and spent much of his childhood in England. As the USA Today’s Bills Wire noted, he didn’t start playing football until he was a 21-year-old college student in London, eventually playing for the London Warriors of the semi-pro British American Football Leagues.
Like Wade, Obada entered the NFL’s International Pathway Program and spent time with the Dallas, Kansas City Chiefs, and Atlanta Falcons before finally making the roster of the Carolina Panthers. Obada played in 16 games last season, notching 5.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
He and Wade have already grown close, spending time together when the Bills and Panthers had joint practices. At the time, Obada told The Sporting News that the Bills running back was the better athlete of the two.
We need to see more of this!
@EfeObadaUK & @ChristianWade3 mic’d up 🤣
You know what to do, @BuffaloBills 👀
“Christian is already a pro, he was a pro long before I was,” Obada said, via Bills Wire. “We just bounce off each other.”
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