Go, Canada! WFT Boosts NFL Canadian Numbers

O, Canada!

Canadians are entering into the NFL more today than ever before. Currently, there are 24 Canadians on 32 NFL rosters, including eight rookies headlined by Washington Football Team draftee Benjamin St-Juste.

St-Juste, 23, is a rookie from Montreal that played at Michigan two years before transferring to Minnesota. His stellar play in college had him high on NFL draft boards, and he was selected 74th overall by Washington in the third round.

There have been a few Canadians that have had a great amount of success in the NFL, specifically with Washington. Kicker Eddie Murray enjoyed 20 years in the NFL before playing his final season with Washington in 2000 at age 44. Most famously, quarterback Mark Rypien helped lead Washington to a Super Bowl XXVI victory nearly 30 years ago.

St-Juste was merely the second Canadian taken in the 2021 draft, behind Miami safety Jevon Holland going 36th. St-Juste is also part of the largest Canadian rookie class as well, with eight Canadians heading to the NFL as rookies this year.

Canadians have played in the NFL since the league's inception in 1920, but most players have not been able to have stateside success. These players were likely to stay at home to play in the CFL, which has its own storied history and traditions that have lasted for just over a century.

Despite the level of success from Canadians the 1980s and '90's, it didn't result in exponential growth in terms of blossoming in the NFL. However, it appears that the game is growing enough to where more Canadians like St-Juste are learning how to play and succeed down in the U.S., which only helps make the NFL game even stronger.