Injury opens door for NFL debut for Aussie rookie Daniel Faalele as countryman Jordan Mailata shines
Daniel Faalele's NFL debut may be just days away, after a brutal injury to a teammate looks to have opened the door for the Australian.
The gigantic offensive lineman became Australia's latest NFL recruitwhen he was selected with the No.110 overall pick at the NFL Draft in April.
Faalele, who stands at 203cm tall and weighs roughly 175kg, was one of the six inactive players on Baltimore's 53-man squad, but is likely to feature next week as a depth player in the offensive, or even potentially thrown in to start, after left tackle Ja'waun James suffered a torn achilles during the team's 24-9 win over the New York Jets.
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James, who was deputising for the Ravens' all-pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley, who himself is battling back from injury, lasted less than two quarters with his new team before being carted off.
But while that's brutal luck for James, who suffered the same injury in May of 2021, it means that Faalele will likely feature in some capacity next week, as the Ravens welcome the Miami Dolphins.
Daniel Faalele was inactive for the Ravens in their win over the Jets, but could feature in the coming weeks. Getty
The Ravens offence took a while to get going against the Jets, but Lamar Jackson threw three touchdown passes in a game that was littered with drops from his receivers.
"He played a patient, veteran quarterback game," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said afterwards.
"He was in control of everything."
Jackson has been the main story regarding the Ravens in recent weeks, after reportedly turning down a new contract that included $194.6 million of guaranteed money on a total contract value $424.7 million.
Jackson comments on those reports, replying: "With a guarantee? No. No, there's no truth to that."
But while Faalele is waiting for his moment, another Aussie giant is shining.
Jordan Mailata was again excellent for the Philadelphia Eagles in their 38-35 win over the Detroit Lions.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts was sacked just once in the game, and finished with 243 yards in the air and another 90 on the ground, including a one yard touchdown run that kicked off a mammoth 24-point second quarter.
While he was barley touched, he did have to throw the ball away a few times to avoid Lions defenders.
Jordan Mailata continues to get rave reviews for his performances in a Philadelphia Eagles uniform. Getty
"We had a lot broken plays, a lot of throwaways," he said. "As a quarterback, that is the best play sometimes."
Mailata has been a roaring success in Philadelphia, with many regarding him as one of the best offensive tackles in the entire NFL.
He and the Eagles will be prime time next week, as they play on Monday Night Football against the Minnesota Vikings.
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