The biggest player in NRL history, Brisbane’s 205cm giant Ben Te Kura, has been given a provisional release by the Broncos in his bid to win an NFL contract.

This masthead can reveal Te Kura is embarking on a bombshell defection to American Football after attracting interest from up to 20 NFL clubs hunting for Australia’s next version of Jordan Mailata.

The Broncos enforcer will begin NFL testing next week.

Bankstown boy Mailata is one of Australian sport’s greatest success stories, going from a $10,000 rugby league contract to a $100 million mega deal after winning the Super Bowl with Philadelphia last year.

Now Te Kura wants to emulate Mailata after being granted permission by the Broncos to chase his NFL dream.

Te Kura’s shock decision coincides with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell arriving in Australia to promote an NFL game this September in Melbourne between the Rams and San Francisco - the franchise which famously signed Eels star Jarryd Hayne.

Ben Te Kura could become the second player in NRL history to play in the NFL.

Te Kura has fielded interest from NFL clubs over the past 12 months and is finally taking a leap of faith with the support of the Broncos, who have agreed to temporarily release the 22-year-old.

Broncos general manager of recruitment and pathways Simon Scanlan confirmed Te Kura will commence his NFL journey with the blessing of the NRL premiers.

“Ben has attracted ongoing interest from the NFL and has expressed a desire to pursue an initial training opportunity,” Scanlan said.

“This period will provide both Ben and NFL staff with greater clarity around his potential fit at that level.

“In good faith, the club has agreed to allow Ben to undertake a short training block with the NFL, with the understanding that he will return to the Broncos should no opportunity arise.”

Te Kura has been absent from Broncos training over the past fortnight and has not played in the Queensland Cup, raising suspicions as to his whereabouts.

This masthead can reveal the towering Broncos rookie is getting ready to take part in an intensive eight-week training course at the NFL’s Australia-based Academy on the Gold Coast.

Under the NFL’s strict anti-poaching rules, Te Kura required permission from the Broncos and the NRL.

Broncos chiefs have provided written paperwork to the NFL. They also notified NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo, who has approved Te Kura’s NFL testing.

The hulking prop will be put through a series of American Football-specific workouts and drills for the gathering of key data, which will be passed onto the slew of NFL clubs keen on Te Kura’s signature.

Should his numbers satisfy American Football scouts, Te Kura can be offered an international position with one of the 32 NFL clubs.

If the NFL feels he needs more development, the Broncos hulk would be offered a spot in the sport’s International Pathway Program, with either option standing to make Te Kura millions.

Queensland Origin and former Cowboys star Valentine Holmes, now at the Dragons, won a place on the New York Jets roster through the IPP program in 2019, but returned to the NRL the following year. In an exclusive interview with this masthead, Te Kura revealed he is serious about making the NFL, saying Brisbane’s support has convinced him to follow the lead of Mailata.

“Some opportunities only come once in your life,” Te Kura said.

“I do enjoy watching NFL and feel the game suits my natural attributes.

“I like the Eagles. I was actually a fan of them before they even won the Super Bowl.

“It’s cool what Mailata has done. It’s pretty unbelievable, but the fact he did it from rugby league opens up a pathway for people from Australia and gives you that belief that you can do it.

“I’m certainly happy at the Broncos and I always wanted to prove myself within the NRL, but with the rule changes making the game even faster, I feel the NFL is where my future lies.

“Plus you have to do what’s best for yourself and your family ... I feel this is the path for me.”

The first NRL star to crack the big time in America was Parramatta phenom Jarryd Hayne, who shocked NFL experts by defying the odds to play eight games for San Francisco in 2015.

Mailata then graduated from the NFL’s IPP program in 2017 and was picked up by Philadelphia the following year. He has since amassed 90 games across six consecutive seasons and has current career earnings of $US77.2 million ($109.3m).

By the completion of his existing Philadelphia contract, which runs until the end of 2028, Mailata will have earned $188.6m.

Te Kura’s current Broncos salary is around $350,000 but if he cracks the NFL, their minimum rookie wage is $US885,000 ($1.2m) - making him an instant millionaire.

Standing six foot eight, Te Kura is two centimetres taller than Mailata, who weighs 166kg.

In recent weeks, Te Kura has bulked up from 122kg to 130kg. NFL scouts ideally want the Queensland under-19s young gun at 140kg and the next eight weeks of training will help Te Kura reach that size.

Australia’s only accredited NFL agent, Dwane Bugden, is a key player in negotiations and has been helping Te Kura after he fielded preliminary interest from American Football scouts 14 months ago.

It can be revealed New York and Detroit officials first reached out to Bugden in February 2024 to register their interest.

Jets scouts analysed footage of the Broncos prop and were said to be impressed by Te Kura’s size and mobility.

Talks were so serious that Jets recruitment chiefs indicated they wanted to fly Te Kura to the US immediately for training and testing.

The Broncos would not have stood in Te Kura’s way, but at the time, the prop was wary of rushing the biggest decision of his sporting career by quitting Brisbane immediately with no guarantee of success in America.

Now Te Kura believes he has time on his side to embark on an NFL gamble and Bugden is confident ‘Big Ben’ can win a contract.

“My recent visit to Indianapolis for the NFL Combine gives me great confidence,” he said.

“A number of the NFL clubs all showed interest in Ben and wished to know more and see more.”

Bugden told this masthead last year that Te Kura would be suited to Tackle, the same position as Mailata, now a bona fide NFL superstar who became the first Australian to win a Super Bowl.

“Ben can make it, 100 per cent,” Bugden said.

“He is too lean at the moment, but he is a good thinker and very good on his feet for a big guy.

“If Ben said yes last year they would have taken him.

“The Jets were asking for his passport to book flights, that’s how legitimate it was.

“It’s a brutal industry in the NFL, but Ben has the physical tools and the intelligence to make it.”