Rookie tackle Jordan Mailata has yet to make his regular season NFL debut for the Philadelphia Eagles. The former Australian Rugby League star is playing his first year of American football and made a positive impression in the preseason despite his incredible inexperience with the game.
However, his prior rugby experience makes for an intriguing possibility as a ball carrier at some point down the line as well. It’s a possibility Eagles head coach Doug Pederson hasn’t shot down.
“He’s definitely used to carrying a larger football. Do they call it a football? I don’t know what they call it,” Pederson said, via Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Very athletic guy. It’s intriguing. It’s not out of the question.”
At 6-foot-8, 346 pounds, Mailata would be one of the largest players to ever carry a football in a running back capacity. He’s not going to take a job from Darren Sproles, Corey Clement or Wendell Smallwood any time soon. Any chance he’d be used as a running back would likely be highly specialized situations as well.
Nevertheless, it’s a fun idea to consider and Pederson is just the type of coach that would give it a shot if the right opportunity were to present itself.