Giants sign TE/FB Jakob Johnson, first International Pathway program participant to score a TD

A native of Stuttgart, Germany, Johnson originally signed with the Patriots as a free agent through the NFL International Player Pathway Program. He appeared in four regular-season games in 2019 with three starts and made his first career reception for five yards in Week 5. He remained with the Patriots for the 2020 season and played all 16 games with 11 starts at fullback and scored his first career touchdown in Week 2. The touchdown catch was the first regular-season touchdown scored by an International Pathway program participant.

Growing up, Johnson played for the Stuttgart Scorpions of the German Football League before moving to Jacksonville, Florida. He played one season of high school football in the United States and was recruited to continue his career at the University of Tennessee, where he made the SEC Academic Honor Roll in all four years with the Volunteers. Johnson returned to the Scorpions in 2018.

The Giants will play their fourth game in Europe and their first in Germany when they face the Carolina Panthers in Allianz Arena in Munich on November 10, 2024. Earlier in the year, the organization was granted international marketing rights in Germany through the Global Markets Program, which gave them the opportunity to activate in the German market through fan engagement, digital content, and events. The Global Markets Program launched in 2022 as part of an important, long-term strategic effort to enable clubs to build their brands globally while driving NFL fan growth beyond the United States.