Louis Rees-Zammit showed promise but has likely not done enough to secure a spot on the Kansas City Chiefs ' active roster in his final preseason game.
Back in April, Rees-Zammit put pen to paper on a three-year deal with the Chiefs, officially sealing his future in the NFL . His contract with the reigning back-to-back Super Bowl champions includes some guaranteed money as well as a signing bonus as he joins as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program.
The 23-year-old concluded a testing preseason with a fairly productive performance against the Chicago Bears . He took four carries as a running back for 21 yards, averaging a solid 5.2 yards per carry.
Rees-Zammit also made plays on special teams, tracking as the gunner on punts while he took off on his only kick return to the tune of 36 yards. However, he slipped and missed a tackle when tracking a punt returner and also failed to haul in his sole target in the passing attack.
The first two preseason games have shown just how steep the learning curve to play in the NFL truly is after swapping from rugby union. After appearing somewhat sluggish with his change of direction found wanting on his debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars , Rees-Zammit took to the field against the Detroit Lions where he was also deployed in multiple roles .
Rees-Zammit returned the opening kickoff 27 yards, operated as a gunner on the punt team, and took a good kickoff, highlighting his predominant usefulness on special teams. He has been more heavily involved in kickoff routines, taking part in the play throughout practice and preseason games against the Jags, Lions, and Bears.
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Given he signed a three-year deal with the Chiefs, Rees-Zammit may miss out on a spot on the 53-man roster for the 2024 season but still continue his development with the franchise on the practice squad. At this stage, that almost certainly appears the most likely outcome, particularly with other running backs - such as UDFA Carson Steele - putting in far more productive performances in pre-season.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid played down expectations for the former rugby star after his debut versus the Jaguars. “Listen, it was exciting for him to have a chance to get in there and play,” Reid said. “It’s faster than what he has seen in practice, so from an experience standpoint it was great for him. That was a positive and then just build on it.”
Blessed with remarkable speed, Rees-Zammit developed into one of the most exciting wingers in world rugby, scoring five tries at last year’s Rugby World Cup in France. After completing 10 weeks at IMG Academy in Florida, Rees-Zammit impressed at a Pro Day, meeting with the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets before agreeing to terms with the Chiefs.
The Welshman is likely to feature predominantly on the practice squad given his long-term deal. Reid will shortly confirm his roster decision ahead of the Chiefs’ opening game of the season against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, Sept. 5.
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