RENTON — While sitting in a friend’s yard during a barbecue in Germany in 2020, offensive lineman Max Pircher received a call from an unfamiliar number. Shrugging off the call initially, Pircher saw another call from the number right away. This time he answered, unaware that what he had thought was "a scam" would change his life.
“It happened really fast,” Pircher, now with the Seahawks, said. “You don’t even think about it, because the NFL is like this thing far away.” Pircher spent his first three years in the NFL on the practice squads of the Los Angeles Rams (2021-22) and the Detroit Lions (2023) under the International Pathway Player contract — a program aimed at developing international talent within the league.
“I just respect how he operates and where he’s come from,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said of Pircher, who was born in Bressanone, Italy. Continuing as an International Pathway Player after signing with the Seahawks in April, the 6-foot-7, 300-pound tackle's goal isn’t necessarily to make the 53-man roster — though he’d love to — but to contribute in any way he can. “I think that will never change,” Pircher said.
“It's always going to be the main goal to help the team win.” Growing up, Pircher swam, climbed, skied, and played soccer and handball. He learned a lot from those sports, particularly handball, as the movements helped him become more athletic.
It wasn’t until a high school lecture, when he got caught watching .