Lorenz Metz Bio
Lorenz Metz (born March 7, 1997) is a German professional American football offensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). Standing 6 feet 9 inches tall, Metz is one of the tallest linemen in the league and is widely recognized as a product of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program. He played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats and has spent time with the Chicago Bears and New York Giants organizations before landing in Tampa Bay.
Metz began playing the sport later than most professionals and has progressed from the German Football League to the American college ranks and on to the NFL. His path reflects the growing international reach of American football and the league’s efforts to develop talent outside the United States.
Early Life and Background
Lorenz Metz was born in Neuötting, a town in Bavaria, Germany, on March 7, 1997. He grew up in a country where American football occupies a small but passionate niche, and he did not take up the sport until he was 18 years old. Before pursuing football, Metz worked as a chemical technician in Germany, a background that gave him a practical, technical foundation before he shifted his career ambitions to athletics.
His first organized experience with the sport came in the German Football League, where he suited up for the Kirchdorf Wildcats during the 2017 season. That brief but formative stretch gave Metz his first taste of competitive tackle football and helped him build the basic skills he would later refine in the United States.
Path to American Football
After his time with the Kirchdorf Wildcats, Metz transitioned to the U.S. college game by enrolling at the University of Cincinnati, home of the Cincinnati Bearcats. He moved to the offensive line and appeared in 43 games with 27 starts between 2018 and 2022, lining up at both tackle and guard during his college career.
Metz started all 13 games at tackle in 2019, played in eight games in 2020, and returned to the starting lineup in 2021 with eight starts at right guard. That 2021 campaign earned him first-team All-AAC honors on an offensive line that helped the Bearcats average 6.7 yards per play, and he was also recognized as a Second-team Academic All-American. His final college season in 2022 was limited to five games because of an injury, but he had already established himself as one of the conference’s most reliable linemen.
Lorenz Metz Career
Early Career (2023)
After going undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft, Metz signed with the Chicago Bears as a college free agent on May 6, 2023. The Bears waived him on July 26, 2023, during the first wave of training camp cuts, ending his initial stay in the league. He later had a tryout with the New York Giants but did not secure a spot on an NFL roster for the 2023 season.
Despite the brief stints, Metz used the 2023 calendar year to adjust to the speed and demands of professional football in the United States, training between tryouts and keeping his developmental path on track for another opportunity.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Breakthrough (2024)
On April 15, 2024, Metz signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers through the NFL’s International Player Pathway program. Because he joined as an IPP player, he did not count against the team’s 90-man offseason roster limit, which gave the Buccaneers flexibility while developing his game.
Metz spent the 2024 season on Tampa Bay’s practice squad under the international exemption, working daily with the team’s offensive line coaches and refining his technique. After the season, the Buccaneers re-signed him to a futures contract and confirmed that his international exception would continue into 2025, signaling the club’s long-term investment in his development.
Buccaneers Era (2025–Present)
Metz returned to the Buccaneers for the 2025 offseason and competed for a spot on the active roster throughout training camp. On August 26, 2025, he was waived as part of the league’s final roster cuts, but Tampa Bay re-signed him to the practice squad the following day, keeping him within the organization.
Through the early part of the 2025 campaign, Metz has continued to log practice repetitions while pushing for elevation to the active roster, and his consistent presence on the practice squad reflects the Buccaneers’ continued confidence in his upside.
Playing Style and Strengths
Metz plays offensive tackle at 6 feet 9 inches and around 152 kilograms, using his unusual length to clog passing lanes and extend his reach against edge rushers. His background as a late starter in football has translated into a coachable, technique-driven approach, and his experience at both tackle and guard from his Cincinnati days gives the Buccaneers flexibility along the offensive line.
Notable Events and Milestones
Metz’s first-team All-AAC selection in 2021 stands as his most decorated college achievement, and his signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers through the International Player Pathway program in 2024 marked his most significant professional milestone. Each step, from the German Football League to Cincinnati and on to the Buccaneers’ practice squad, has represented a first for a player who picked up the sport only after high school.
Lorenz Metz Career Achievements
Although Metz is still in the developmental phase of his professional career, his résumé already includes a first-team All-AAC honor and a Second-team Academic All-American recognition, both earned during the 2021 season at Cincinnati. His standing as a Tampa Bay Buccaneers IPP signing makes him part of a small group of German-born linemen to reach an NFL roster.
College Highlights
Across five college seasons with the Cincinnati Bearcats, Metz appeared in 43 games and made 27 starts at tackle and guard. His 2021 first-team All-AAC campaign was the statistical and symbolic peak of his college career, while his 13 starts at tackle in 2019 marked his first full season as a starter at the position.
Other Performances
Before arriving at Cincinnati, Metz played the 2017 season for the Kirchdorf Wildcats in the German Football League, giving him his first organized experience in American football. That single German season laid the groundwork for his transition to NCAA Division I football and, eventually, the NFL.
Lorenz Metz Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Metz’s immediate family is limited. He is German by nationality and was raised in Neuötting, Bavaria, and his development path has been framed almost entirely around his late entry into American football rather than any family athletic lineage.
Personal Life
Metz is not publicly known to be married, and reliable details about a spouse or children are not available. His public social media presence suggests that his focus remains on his football career and continued development within the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season represents Metz’s second year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and his most realistic opportunity yet to earn an active-roster promotion. He opened the year re-signed to a futures contract, trained through the offseason under the international exemption, and went through the full training camp cycle with the offensive line group.
On August 26, 2025, Metz was waived as part of final roster cuts and returned to the practice squad one day later, where he has continued to log developmental repetitions. His day-to-day work within the Buccaneers’ system, combined with the team’s long-term investment in his growth, sets the stage for a potential elevation to the active roster if injuries or performance open a window later in the year.