This Chiefs rookie looking to carve role that could be a first in modern NFL history

Kansas City Chiefs rookie Louis Rees-Zammit was quite busy at the end of training camp practice on Tuesday morning.

He began the team’s special teams drills by working as one of the team’s two starting kickoff returners. A bit later, he jogged all the way to the other side of the field to take a few reps ... as the team’s kickoff specialist.

It might sound wild, but the NFL’s new kickoff rules — along with Rees-Zammit’s unique skill-set — could put him in position for a dual role that would be a first in modern NFL history.

Rees-Zammit, a 23-year-old former rugby star from Wales, could be looking to secure his spot with the Chiefs not only returning kickoffs but producing them, as well.

“He does OK with that,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of Rees-Zammit’s kickoffs on Tuesday. “He’s kicked a few balls before, so he’s got a little feel for it. It’s not something new to him to have to do.”

The reality: There’s still a long way to go for the Chiefs to potentially employ the first kickoff specialist/kick returner in franchise history. For one, Rees-Zammit has to make the team, which isn’t guaranteed given that he’s trying to learn a new sport in just a few months.

There’s also this: The Chiefs have other guys available for kickoff duties. Harrison Butker is the team’s field-goal kicker, and he received first reps on kickoffs Tuesday while Rees-Zammit was on the receiving end of his boots.

KC also has had safety Justin Reid kick off in previous practices, and he’s sitting out now with a quad injury.

Given all that, there are still reasons to believe Rees-Zammit has a decent chance of securing both positions before the 2024 season begins in September.

For one, he already appears to be one of the team’s preferred options as a kickoff returner. He was a first-teamer at that spot Tuesday, back deep alongside second-year receiver Nikko Remigio.

“We always tell the guys: Three or four guys make it because of their special teams play. And those two would probably fit into that category,” Andy Reid said of Rees-Zammit and Remigio. “They’ve still got to do well at their position, but they’re given opportunities right now to do that.

“Now we’ve got a lot of returners, so they’re rotating in there. But you’d probably say for them to make the team, they’ve got to be able to help out in that area.”

Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub also spoke earlier this offseason about his preference not to use Butker on kickoffs , given the new rules incentivize line drive kicks over ones with hangtime. Toub wants a kicker who can make tackles and be a part of the kickoff return coverage — something that wouldn’t fit Butker as well as it would Justin Reid or Rees-Zammit.

Toub also complimented Rees-Zammit’s kicking in May, saying he was “every bit as good as Justin on kickoffs.”

Contract value could play a factor at some point, too. Justin Reid is the Chiefs’ fifth-highest-paid player this season, according to OverTheCap, with a cap number just over $14.2 million.

Even if he can kick off, would it be worth the injury risk, given he’s also one of the team’s starting safeties?

If nothing else, Rees-Zammit’s pursuit of a roster spot will be a storyline worth tracking over the next month.

He told reporters last week that excelling on special teams and learning pass protection would be his best path to making the team.

On special teams, Rees-Zammit could have a varied role. He figures to be a contributor on both kickoff and punt coverage, as his speed and high effort would serve him well in both capacities.

As a running back, his blocking ability is essential given the Chiefs’ specific roster construction. Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire are near-locks for the roster, but neither excels at pass protection — a third-down role reserved last season for Jerick McKinnon, who was not re-signed this offseason.

At 6-foot-2 and 209 pounds, Rees-Zammit certainly has the size and body type to stand up to blitzers. Will he get the technique down, though? And will he understand his assignment correctly each time while serving the critical role of being quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ last line of defense on critical third-down plays?

The Chiefs will be looking for growth. It’s likely that once the pads come on later this week, Rees-Zammit will struggle with his blocking — an expectation given his lack of American football experience.

If he can improve with that quickly, though — and be good enough to serve as the Chiefs’ RB3 to start the season while still learning on the job — his added contributions as a special-teams ace would have the bonus of filling multiple KC needs with a single roster spot.

That’s likely the Chiefs’ hope for Rees-Zammit as he continues to develop in his transition from rugby. Should KC cut him, he would be subject to waivers, and any of the NFL’s other 31 teams could put in a claim.

Given Rees-Zammit’s early fanfare, it seems unlikely he’d slip to the Chiefs’ practice squad without someone else taking a chance on him.

That’s why the Chiefs, seemingly, are giving Rees-Zammit every opportunity to add value to the roster.

With the role of “situational kicker” still out there to be claimed.