Ben Niemann Bio
Ben Niemann is an American professional football linebacker born on July 27, 1995, in Des Moines, Iowa. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes and entered the National Football League (NFL) as an undrafted free agent, signing with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018. Over the course of his professional career, Niemann has appeared for the Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, New York Jets, and Los Angeles Rams, working primarily on special teams and as a reserve linebacker. He is a Super Bowl champion, having been part of the Chiefs roster that won Super Bowl LIV.
Early Life and Background
Ben Niemann was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and is the son of Jay and Lou Ann Niemann. Because his father worked as a football coach, the family moved several times while Ben was growing up, an experience that exposed him to a variety of football environments at a young age. Standing 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing around 235 pounds, Niemann developed into a versatile athlete, eventually attending Sycamore High School in Sycamore, Illinois, where he played both football and basketball.
On the gridiron at Sycamore, Niemann lined up at wide receiver and safety, and his play drew statewide recognition. He was named first-team all-state as both a junior and a senior, establishing himself as one of the top defensive prospects in Illinois before committing to the University of Iowa. His family background, with a father who built a career in college coaching, gave him a strong understanding of the game well before he reached the college level.
Path to American Football
After completing his high school career at Sycamore, Niemann joined the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he spent four seasons developing into a steady linebacker. As a true freshman, he carved out a role mostly on special teams and as a reserve linebacker, highlighted by a blocked punt that he returned for a touchdown against Northwestern. That early contribution foreshadowed the kind of impact plays he would later be known for in the NFL.
Heading into his sophomore year, Niemann became a starter at outside linebacker and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference recognition after recording 45 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, and two pass breakups. He repeated the honorable mention All-Big Ten honor as a senior, finishing that final college season with 80 tackles, six tackles for loss, a sack, five passes broken up, and two forced fumbles. By the end of his college career, Niemann had accumulated 201 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles, numbers that reflected his consistency and his value on both defense and special teams.
Ben Niemann Career
Early Career (2018–2019)
Following the 2018 NFL Draft, Niemann signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent and did enough in training camp to make the final 53-man roster. He made his NFL debut on September 9, 2018, in the season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, contributing on special teams. His first career start came on November 11 against the Arizona Cardinals, when he led the Chiefs with six tackles in a 26–14 win. Niemann wrapped up his rookie year with 10 tackles in 14 games and added postseason experience, including a defended pass in the end zone against the Indianapolis Colts and two special teams tackles in the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots.
In 2019, Niemann expanded his role, playing all 16 regular season games with one start and finishing the year with 56 tackles, a pass defended, and a fumble recovery. His biggest stage that season came in the postseason, where he recorded six tackles and delivered a key hit on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, helping force an errant throw on third down in the fourth quarter of the Chiefs Super Bowl LIV victory. That championship marked the defining early moment of his career.
Kansas City Chiefs Breakthrough (2018–2021)
Niemann spent his first four professional seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, gradually growing from a special teams contributor into a trusted reserve linebacker. In 2020, he posted 44 total tackles, recorded his first career sack on Lamar Jackson in a Monday Night Football win over the Baltimore Ravens, and recovered a fumble forced on the same quarterback. Those plays showed his nose for the football and his comfort in big moments against elite competition.
After re-signing with the Chiefs on March 17, 2021, Niemann continued to provide depth and special teams value, but his time in Kansas City came to a close at the end of that season. Across his Chiefs tenure, he appeared in regular season and postseason games while contributing on defense and special teams, and he departed as a Super Bowl champion.
Arizona Cardinals Era (2022)
On June 16, 2022, Niemann signed with the Arizona Cardinals, where he stepped into a larger defensive role. He played in all 17 games that season, made nine starts, and set a career high with 70 tackles, while also adding two tackles for loss, a fumble recovery, and a pass defended. That production gave him his most extensive defensive workload to that point and showed he could handle an every-down linebacker role.
Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos Era (2023)
On April 17, 2023, Niemann signed with the Tennessee Titans, but he was waived on August 29, 2023, before the regular season began. Shortly after, on September 1, 2023, he was signed to the practice squad of the Denver Broncos. He was promoted to the active roster on October 30, 2023, and went on to play seven games for Denver, logging two combined tackles while working almost exclusively on special teams.
Detroit Lions and Beyond (2024–2025)
On June 10, 2024, Niemann signed with the Detroit Lions, adding veteran depth to their linebacker group and special teams units. The following year, on September 23, 2025, he was signed to the New York Jets practice squad before being released on September 30. Shortly after that, on January 6, 2026, Niemann was signed to the Los Angeles Rams practice squad, continuing his journeyman path across the league.
Driving Style and Strengths
On the field, Niemann is valued for his football intelligence, his reliability in open-field tackling, and his experience on special teams coverage units. His size and length allow him to take on blocks from tight ends and running backs, while his college background in multiple defensive schemes helps him adjust quickly to new coordinators. Throughout his career, he has been deployed as a run-support linebacker and a core special teams player, roles that demand discipline, hustle, and dependable fundamentals.
Notable Events and Milestones
The signature moment of Niemann’s career came in Super Bowl LIV, when he helped the Chiefs knock off the San Francisco 49ers to win the championship. He also posted his first career sack in a prime-time game against Lamar Jackson and set a personal best with 70 tackles during his lone season in Arizona. Across his career, he has accumulated 264 total tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 7 fumble recoveries, and 4 pass deflections, all while contributing on special teams in nearly every season.
Ben Niemann Career Wins
Ben Niemann’s most prominent career win is a Super Bowl championship, earned as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. Beyond that title, he has collected dozens of regular season victories with multiple franchises, including a career-high in tackles during his 2022 season with the Arizona Cardinals.
Super Bowl and Playoff Highlights
Niemann was part of the Chiefs team that defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV, and he also appeared in the AFC Championship Game as a rookie in 2018. His postseason contributions have come primarily on special teams, where he has delivered tackles in high-leverage moments against opponents like the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots.
Other Wins and Performances
In 2022 with the Arizona Cardinals, Niemann started nine games and set a career high with 70 tackles, the strongest full-season performance of his professional career. He has also been a steady special teams performer for the Chiefs, Broncos, and Lions, providing experienced depth on coverage units.
Ben Niemann Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Ben Niemann comes from a football family. His father, Jay Niemann, has worked in college coaching and currently serves as the Assistant Defensive Line Coach and Defensive Recruiting Coordinator at the University of Iowa, with prior stints as Defensive Coordinator at Rutgers and Northern Illinois and as head coach at Simpson College. His mother, Lou Ann Niemann, has been a steady presence in his upbringing, and the family moved several times during Ben’s childhood as his father pursued coaching opportunities.
Personal Life
Outside of football, Niemann is known to be close with his younger brother, Nick Niemann, who also plays linebacker in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers. Growing up in a coaching household, Ben was surrounded by the game from an early age, and that environment helped shape his path to a professional career. He has generally kept his personal life private, with limited public details about relationships or off-field pursuits.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season has been a year of movement for Ben Niemann, who has split time between practice squad roles and short stints on active rosters. After signing with the New York Jets practice squad in September 2025, he was released later that same month, ending a brief stay with the organization. He later signed with the Los Angeles Rams practice squad in early January 2026, positioning himself for a potential late-season opportunity.
Across his 2025 stops, Niemann has continued to handle a special teams oriented role, using his experience and tackling reliability to remain a dependable depth piece. His career totals of 264 tackles, 2 sacks, and 7 fumble recoveries underscore the kind of steady production teams have come to expect from him, even in limited defensive snaps.
Looking ahead, Niemann’s path with the Rams and any future team will likely lean on the same formula that has kept him in the league since 2018: dependable tackling, smart special teams play, and the versatility to fit into multiple defensive schemes. As a Super Bowl champion entering the later stage of his career, he remains a useful locker room presence and a reliable option whenever a team needs a veteran linebacker.