Justin Pugh named Commissioner of Italian Football League

Former Giants offensive lineman Justin Pugh decided to hang up his cleats last year when he announced his retirement from the NFL in late July.

While he may have stepped away from putting on the pads and taking the field, Pugh is still firmly in the football world.

The former lineman recently announced that he has been named Commissioner of the Italian Football League.

“I am incredibly proud and honored to assume the role of Commissioner of the Italian Football League,” Pugh wrote in a statement. “American football has deep roots in Italy, and the passion this country has for the game is something truly special. This appointment reflects the IFL’s commitment not only to preserving this tradition, but to accelerating its evolution across Europe.”

After being selected with the 19th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, Pugh spent his first four seasons with the Giants before spending the next five years with the Arizona Cardinals.

Pugh then made his return to the Giants in 2023, famously starting a primetime game at Buffalo on Oct. 15, just 12 days after he signed as a practice squad veteran. Coming up on the one-year anniversary of when he tore his ACL, Pugh gave one of the more memorable quotes with his Sunday Night Football introduction. Where most players recite their name and alma mater, Pugh went with, “Justin Pugh, straight off the couch.”

The former offensive lineman ended up playing 131 games across 11 NFL seasons with the Giants and Cardinals.

In his new role, Pugh will look to help grow the game of football in Italy.

“Our objective is to position the IFL as a structured, credible and forward looking institution, capable of connecting Italian Football to the broader international ecosystem of the game,” Pugh wrote. “Italy has the talent, the market and the symbolic power to play a meaningful role in the global development of American Football.”

This upcoming season, the NFL international schedule will feature a record-high nine regular-season games across seven countries, including games for the first time in Paris, Rio de Janeiro, and Melbourne.