Misdiagnosed hamstring ended Jordan Petaia's NFL dream, Wallabies back reveals

Jordan Petaia’s NFL career lasted just four months after a misdiagnosed hamstring injury cut short his time with the Los Angeles Chargers, the Wallabies back has revealed ahead of Sunday’s Test against South Africa at Optus Stadium in Perth.

Petaia had left the Queensland Reds in 2024 to pursue American football, signing with the Chargers in April 2025 on a three-year International Player Pathway deal. But what was initially treated as minor tendonitis turned out to be a more serious hamstring tendon problem — one he kept trying to train through in a bid to prove himself in an unfamiliar sport.

“I was kind of misdiagnosed over there,” Petaia told AAP. “I kept trying to train through it. It’s hard over there when you’re new to the sport and you’re trying to prove yourself. I then ended up getting a second opinion on it. I had a hamstring tendon issue, which was unfortunate.”

The 26-year-old said he sensed something was seriously wrong during a pre-season game warm-up. “I was warming up, and I was just like, ‘I don’t think it’s going to be right’,” he said. “And a week after that, I went back into rehab.” He ultimately needed eight to ten weeks to recover before the Chargers released him and he signed a medical settlement.

Despite the disappointment, Petaia holds no grudges. “There’s no bad blood with the misdiagnosis. I think it’s just unfortunate,” he said.

After returning to rugby via a stint in France, Petaia has since signed with Japanese club Urayasu D-Rocks and is now back in the Wallabies fold for the first time since the 2023 Rugby World Cup. He admitted one of his immediate tasks is simply relearning the names of his new teammates.

The physical demands of the two sports required a significant body transformation. Petaia bulked up from his rugby playing weight of 102kg to 110kg for the NFL before trimming back down to around 100kg now that he has returned to the fifteen-man game.

For all the frustration, Petaia says the experience left him with memories he will not forget. “It was cool catching balls from Justin Herbert,” he said of the Chargers quarterback. “And lining up across guys like Derwin James was crazy stuff, and attempting to block guys like Khalil Mack — just names like that and being around the building was just an experience in itself.”

With Australia hosting the Rugby World Cup in 2027, Petaia’s focus has quickly shifted back to what lies ahead in rugby rather than what might have been in the NFL.